Whatever it takes.

Can’t drag yourself to the gym unless you know your best friend / mom / sister / personal trainer is going to be there, waiting, holding you accountable to your goals?

Whatever it takes is whatever it takes.

Can’t finish your writing project unless you check yourself into a hotel for a week (or many months) of undisturbed creation? (Hey, it worked for Maya Angelou. Leonard Cohen and Patti Smith, too.)

Whatever it takes is whatever it takes.

Can’t focus on your work unless your sink is empty, those crumbs are swept off the floor, and your magazines are arranged in a perfectly symmetrical fan shape?

Whatever it takes is whatever it takes.

Can’t show up for appointments on time unless you set an alarm on your phone, and then a back up alarm, and set your clock to run twenty minutes fast?

Whatever it takes is whatever it takes.

Can’t function, think clearly, or move your cause forward unless you meditate for an hour (or two) every day? (That’s how Gandhi rolled.)

Whatever it takes is whatever it takes.

There are a million and one factors at play, every day, threatening to derail you from the projects and priorities that truly matter.

A million and one forces of distraction, pulling at the corners of your mind, careening you off course. It takes a lot — coffee, conviction, coaching, community, rituals, sometimes, utter ridiculousness — to keep yourself on track.

Instead of feeling “guilty” for having so many “needs” and “requirements,” feel triumphant for giving yourself a competitive edge. Feel proud for giving yourself what my friend Dyana calls “the necessary conditions for Greatness.”

What kind of person do you want to become?

What kinds of ideas & projects do you want to bring forth into this world?

What is it going to take in order for you to be Great?

Meet your personal conditions.

Give yourself every possible advantage.

No self-judgment. No drama. No shame.

Whatever it takes.