4 Pieces of Advice to Take With You on Your Journey to Success
By: Ashley Richmond
Tags: Success, Self Improvement, Entrepreneurship, Lifestyle, Advice

4. Ignore the noise.

“Ignore the noise; for the love of God, do not let it distract you.”

This sentence got my attention more than any other in the book. And to be honest, probably more than any other in any of the hundreds of books I’ve read. This statement can be applied to anything. When I am studying, I remind myself of it. When I am on the rink in the middle of a tied game, I say it to myself over and over. When my roommates are being noisy while I’m trying to study, I remember it.

Noise is everywhere. Literal noise and metaphorical noise. Noise comes in the social media streams that fill up our free time. Noise is in the negative and horrific stories that we see on the news every day. Noise is your self-doubt, your self-limiting thoughts. We must eliminate this noise. Don’t let it distract you, no matter what you are trying to achieve. Focus.

Noise can also come in the form of losing ourselves, or forgetting why we started or what is most important. Just a few weeks ago, I was feeling stressed. I wanted to do all these things — start my business, start a new job, buy a house, finish my degree, get lean and strong. I was overwhelmed. And I lost sight of what was really important. But Ryan reminded me to remember what is most important. Right away, I wrote on my bookmark: ‘What is most important’. And I proceeded to jot things down — family, education, nutrition, movement. The values that were emphasized when I was growing up. These are what are most important to me, and therefore these are what I need to focus on. Nothing else matters. Ignore the noise.

“We start out knowing what is important to us, but once we’ve achieved it, we lose sight of our priorities…. Without the right values, success is brief. If we wish to do more than flash, if we wish to last, then it is time to understand how to battle this new form of ego and what values and principles are required in order to beat it. Success is intoxicating, yet to sustain it requires sobriety. We can’t keep learning if we think we already know everything. We cannot buy into myths we make ourselves, or the noise and chatter of the outside world. We must understand that we are a small part of an interconnected universe. On top of all this, we have to build an organization and a system around what we do — one that is about the work and not about us.”

When we lose sight of what’s most important, our success will be limited. When we worry about money rather than about doing important work, we are giving into the noise. We are being distracted. Ryan explains,

“Critical energy is diverted from a person’s calling and toward filling a bank account.”

Money is a distraction. While we need to earn a living, money should not be the sole motivation behind the work that you are doing. You should be doing this work because it is important. Because it will help people. Because it will make the world a better place. Not because you want a bigger house, or a higher number in your bank account, or to be able to say you make 6 figures.

“Who am I? What am I doing? What is my role in this world? Nothing draws us away from those questions like material success — when we are always busy, stressed, put upon, distracted, reported to, relied on, apart from.”

And when you have lost sight of the path, remember this:

“Why do you do what you do? That’s the question you need to answer. Stare at it until you can. Only then will you understand what matters and what doesn’t.”

When things get hard, remember why you’re doing it. Why do you wake up every day? What is your purpose? Where are you going? Remember your values and love them. Remember what is important. Never lose sight of the path, and never give in to the noise.