I listened to an investor share his life story recently. He’s made some timely investments that have done extremely well. I always enjoy hearing the stories of successful people because most contain a golden nugget (something others can learn from). Most of what you read about such people talks about their successes, but their journeys usually include massive failures. This story was no different. This investor was kicked out of college before he got his act together. My biggest takeaway was the amount of preparation that went into his success. He spent a decade refining his investment style before he realized a sizeable return. Many of his investments went to zero, but he learned from each one.

Some believe the path to success can be short. I disagree. I’ve yet to meet anyone successful who got there overnight. Years, if not decades, of hard work position people for eventual successful.

If you want to do something great, you must be committed and put in the work. There are no shortcuts in life. For those of you who aspire to be successful, settle in—it’s going to be a long ride!