By Samantha McKenzie

As much as I talk about all the things I want to accomplish, I spend little time thinking about the things I’m going to have to give up. The word sacrifice slips off our tongues pretty quickly, but the actions are carried out at a much slower pace.

What am I willing to give up? To start, I’m willing to give up free time, cut back on social engagements and that extra hour of sleep I waste talking myself into really getting up. I’m also willing to reduce the time spent in front of the TV and the remainder of the time spent scrolling through my social media sites.

To bring my dreams into fruition, I know that I will have to give up some of the things I’ve become used to. I’ll have to redirect my focus, get more disciplined and learn how to turn my attention to the things that matter to me the most.

This means, I’ll have to set my alarm clock earlier to get better use of the morning (while I’m not a morning person, I do know that I’m most productive in the early hours). My weekends will look different as well. I’ll have to be willing to ignore those text messages and carve out my business hours right there at the kitchen table.

Maybe I should reduce the number of shopping trips or lessen the amount of time spent talking on the telephone. Maybe I’ll have to sever relationships with negative people who I already know don’t want me to succeed.

If you read stories about successful people, you’ll see the many changes they have had to make to achieve their goals. They experienced pain, loss and heartache and have lived to tell you about it.

There’s no easy road on this journey and there’s no getting around sacrifice. So, what are you willing to give up?