One common thing I’ve noticed about success—whether in business, sports, or career—is this: it will be hard for years, and then it gets easy.
When I first started boxing, I was stiff and nervous. My muscles would tense up, so my punches lacked speed. There was no grace in my movement. During sparring, I’d last about a minute because I’d get exhausted from doing too much and being inefficient. Years passed, and I got comfortable. Boxing became a form of relaxation. It felt easy. There was flow. I didn’t force things anymore. I moved with grace. You still get hit during sparring—that’s part of the game—but now, you spar with intention. You pick your spots. You don’t brawl. You get hit less than when you first started.
I experienced the same thing in Muay Thai. I decided to train seriously this year. In January, I was stiff and sore. My shins were covered in bruises. Training required a lot of effort. My cardio was poor because the movements were unfamiliar. But now, more than six months in, I see a big change. There’s flow. I don’t get tired easily. The bruises are gone. I move with grace.
Business is the same. In your first few years, expect chaos. Everything will go wrong because you don’t have systems or the right people. Expect to be a firefighter—putting out fires left and right. You’re still figuring out product-market fit. You might even have to pivot completely. There will be small and big failures. But if you persist—if you take time to understand your business, build systems, and hire the right team—things will get easier.
If you want to succeed in anything, know this: it will be hard. Expect it. Embrace it. Nobody became great without suffering. It’s the law of life. Comfort has its place, but it doesn’t lead to growth. Comfort gets you stuck. You miss out on your potential. But if you embrace the suffering, you’ll earn the ease that follows.
Grind now, enjoy later. Suffer now, vacation after.