The Power of Showing Up and How it Drives Success
- Coleene Lacson
- Feb 19
- 10 min read
Are you someone who shows up to work everyday, yet feel like you're not making a significant impact on your life? Or perhaps someone who can't bring yourself to work on your goals because of your fear of failure, fear of the unknown, or your warped self-image thinking you're nothing more than what you can achieve because of other people's opinion of you?
I've been there.
"Eighty percent of success is showing up." — Woody Allen
As what Stephen Hawking has quoted, "Half the battle is just showing up." Showing up to work on your success, no matter how seemingly insignificant your progress is, means that you already won half the battle. Many people wake up each day feeling defeated; they settle for the mediocre thinking their life right now is all that there is and all that it could be. They go to work like they're just a cog on a corporate machine, confined to the four walls of their office desk, thinking that success is just for the privileged, the executives, or the select and fortunate few. Success does not happen by chance. Success happens by a series of intentional and consistent work that compounds over time. Many people want something for nothing or achieve exceptional rewards for mediocre effort. Anyone can achieve success when they roll up their sleeves and actually do the work, doing it with intentionality and consistency. Just as geniuses aren't born but developed, you can achieve success too. And it starts with showing up. You want to write a book in the next 2 years, you want to become a great athlete, you want to make good content on social media, or whatever it is, show up every day and do the work. It doesn't have to be good, and you probably might not see instant results, but you just have to show up. This is how champions are made—they show up, rain or shine, and even when it gets hard—they never quit, they show up every single time!
What is the Power of Showing Up and How Does it Drive Success?
In this blog post, let's learn The Power of Showing Up and How it Drives Success.
Showing Up Builds Discipline and Resiliency
Opportunities Come to Those Who Show Up
Showing Up Positions You for Success
Showing Up Builds Discipline and Resiliency.
People may have a revolutionary idea within them that could change the course of their life and that they believe strongly in their heart. They may be motivated to act on the idea—to launch the business, to start the podcast, to publish a blog, to produce a song, or to accept the job opportunity—with the benefits and successful outcomes in mind. However, when motivation fades, when they don't get the results right away in this quick-fix world where the instant and immediate, yet less rewarding is preferred over the long-term rewards, they lose sight of the future; they lose sight of the vision and purpose why they do what they do and why they started in the first place. Some people similarly have unique, transformative ideas in mind, who know and believe their ideas have immense potential for success, but are hesitant to act on them or struggle in the middle of their journey because of other people's opinions, because of fear—fear of failing, fear of the unknown, or fear of disappointing people when things go awry—and because of their warped perception of themselves, seeing themselves as incompetent, inadequate, or "not good enough."
I've had these moments in life where an idea births within me that I believe strongly in. Most of these ideas gets put on a shelf at the back of my mind, always convincing myself that I'm not ready yet, I'm too young, or I'm not good enough to be able to make this idea come to pass. I've also encountered failures in my life that the thought of reaching my goals seem so farfetched and impossible. With the expectations of others in mind, I felt disappointed in myself and beat myself up for it. And day after day, I wake up feeling defeated, settling for the mediocre, thinking this is all I could ever be. My situation made me forget who I was and what I was capable of. It blinded me of my God-given potential and purpose, that actually, I could do more.
But one day, I decided that enough is enough. No more excuses. The only person who could stop me is myself. I need to start taking accountability for being where I am in my life and taking responsibility for what I need to do to get to where I need to be. But there was one thing I never did—I never gave up. So everyday, I kept showing up. I kept showing up, not for the approval of others or to make a point, but for myself—I plan my day the night before, I schedule my week 3 days before the previous week ends, I read books and develop myself to become the best version of who I can become—in my spiritual life, leadership, and in my pursuit to be a well-rounded individual who can make a difference in the world and glorify God—and I also decided to wake up an hour earlier than usual, I start my day with prayer and prioritizing God above all else before I open my phone, I keep developing my skills in writing and publish blogs one at a time like I'm writing to one person, without expecting massive results right away, and many more things and improvements in my life that may seem rather inappreciable. These minor changes I've made in my life may not look like much and may not produce the results I want yet. But I know that these seemingly small and insignificant improvements will compound over time and will produce massive results.
I've come to realize that showing up builds discipline and resiliency. It was never easy. There were times where the snooze button tempts me to have a few more minutes of sleep, times where I feel so dry or experience what they call a "writer's block" that you can't seem to put your thoughts into words, or times where my workload gets piled up all at the same and I get overwhelmed or exhausted, along with a few challenges or problems that get in the way where doubt or fear tries to creep in inside my head. But when you show up, even when things get rough, you build discipline. You lead or subdue your body to do what it needs to do, not letting it lead you. And over time, it builds your resiliency to be able to do things without faltering by any other external forces.
According to NASA, the Space Shuttle carries approximately a total of 3.17 million liters (~2.7 million kg) of fuel at launch, distributed between the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and the External Tank (ET). The SRBs alone burn their entire 1.1 million pounds (499,000 kg) of propellant in the first two minutes. By the time the SRBs are jettisoned, about 30-35% of the total fuel has been used. In other words, the Space Shuttle uses a significant amount of fuel even just from the lift off to the initial phase of its ascent. At the start of your journey towards your success—may it be starting a business or launching an idea—you will use up a significant amount of your energy, your time, and even your resources. But as you build discipline and resiliency, it gets easier over time. Showing up is not always easy. Many people stay in the sidelines and many people give up or give in when things get hard. But just by showing up, you already won half the battle.
I am not the best writer. I am not the best leader. I am not the best person in the field I am in right now. But I promised myself nothing less than my very best—in everything I do—and just showing up, being consistent with discipline and resiliency whatever what may come in my journey towards success and reaching my goals. And you can do it too. Just by waking up each day and taking one step at a time towards your goals consistently, is you casting a vote to yourself to being a better version of who you were yesterday.
Opportunities Come to Those Who Show Up.
There are countless champions and successful people across time and generations that sets them apart from the rest of the world. However, they're not just born champions. They're not just people who bet on luck or had "their stars aligned". Champions are not born—they're developed and made through discipline, resilience, and relentless pursuit of excellence. They show up every day, even when motivation fades, even when things get tough, breaking past limitations with a growth mindset, and pushing through challenges with unwavering commitment. Ultimately, champions separate themselves by doing consistently what others do occasionally. Champions don't just train when it's easy. They don't just show up when things are convenient or only when they feel like it. They show up all the time, rain or shine, and dedicate even thousands of hours to perfecting their craft, pushing their physical and mental limits beyond what most people would endure. That's why they're the champions that they are now.
We all know the late Kobe Bryant, "Black Mamba", known as one of the greatest and most influential Basketball players of his time. He was also known for his exceptional work ethic and his 4:00AM philosophy. He often started training at 4 AM, putting in 6+ hours a day, breaking his workouts into:
2 hours of skill work (shooting, footwork, dribbling)
2 hours of weight training
2 hours of cardio and conditioning
By the time his competitors woke up, he had already completed an entire training session. A part of his legacy was the Mamba Mentality. And as Bryant has said in some of his interviews, "To sum up what Mamba Mentality is, it means to be able to constantly try to be the best version of yourself...that is what the mentality is. It's a constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday. Mamba Mentality is all about focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most." Whether it’s early mornings, extra sessions, or brutal training schedules, champions succeed because they do more than what is expected. While others rest, they work. That’s what makes a champion.
When you show up every day—rolling up your sleeves and putting in the work with consistency, intentionality, discipline and resiliency—you might not see or acquire the results you want immediately. It will cost you your time, energy, and resources. The climb from the valley of comfort to your mountain of opportunities and success will always be a challenge. You will experience obstacles and setbacks that can physically and mentally exhaust you. A pot of water takes time to boil; it undergoes different reactions between heat energy and water molecules, and with constant exposure to heat, in time it will reach its boiling point of 100°C. Carbon atoms lie deep within the Earth's mantle, and when exposed to extreme temperatures above 1,200°C and extreme pressures over 725,000 pounds per square inch, under these intense conditions, the carbon atoms bond in a unique crystal structure, forming a diamond. The process takes 1 to 3 billion years and occurs about 90 to 150 miles below the Earth’s surface. The formation of diamonds take time, and they remain buried deep underground until volcanic eruptions carry them to the surface. It's not by accident. There is a process. When you show up and put in the work, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem, it will compound over time until you reach that point in your life where you are where you need to be.
Champions are just ordinary people who believed they could do extraordinary and had extraordinary habits and mindsets that led them to where they are. It didn't happen by chance nor by luck. But because they showed up every day, they seized their opportunity to learn and grow every time they had the chance to, they gained skills and experiences that developed their character and strengthened their resiliency, they positioned themselves to be in the right place with opportunities to meet and connect with the right people, and aligned them towards their success, until one day...they became the champions that they are now. You can be a champion in whatever aspect of your life or wherever field you may be in. Success is rarely about talent alone. Show up for yourself every day and put in the work, even when you don’t feel ready or motivated, even when other people say otherwise, and have habits and a mindset of a champion!
Showing Up Positions You for Success.
Whether in your career, your relationships, or your personal goals, showing up puts you in a position that is aligned to your purpose and vision and ultimately your success. Some people hesitate to show up and do the work because they fear failure or the thought of putting in seemingly senseless efforts that yield no results. Some people show up but give up in the middle of their journey because they get discouraged, perhaps from the negative opinions of people or from their failure to see beyond their present situation towards their future success. Some people aren't willing to show up and put in the work at all because they have lived in mediocrity all their lives—it's what has been taught to them or what they have been told all their life—and believe that's all there is for them, that ultimately became their reality. Just by showing up, you position yourself towards your success.
Just as mentioned previously, a pot of water does not just jump from 0°C to a 100°C. When you start to put that pot of water on the stovetop, introduce heat and expose it under heat for a certain amount of time, it will gradually move up from a 0°C, to 1°C, 2°C, 3°C...until it reaches its boiling point. When you show up every day, you gradually move forward towards your goals—you gradually develop yourself, your skills, your character, your discipline and your resiliency—until one day, you reach that point of success. Just because you don't see the results, doesn't mean your idea sucks or has no capacity to change to world. It doesn't mean you're not cut out for the job. It doesn't mean you're inadequate and incompetent to be where you are, and that success is an impossible feat. Showing up is already half the battle. And by showing up, you already won half of the battle. It positions you to the right direction that the work you do will soon add up and compound to reap massive results, and will bring you towards your success.
“Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.” – Brene Brown
In conclusion, we cannot play victim and blame others, our situation, or the competitive world around us for being where we are in life. We have a choice to step out of mediocrity and believe that we have God-given potential and purpose, an inner genius and champion, that we have yet to unleash, own, and live out. Remember, being a champion starts with who you are and not what you do. Think like a champion. Adopt the habits of a champion. You are destined for success!
May this blog post push you to show up and put in the work you need to do to reach your goals. Do share your heart and thoughts in the comments. See you on the next blog post!
Sending love,
Coleene.
Read the previous blog post: Motion vs. Action: The Common Mistake of Confusing Motion with Action in Reaching Your Goals
So good! 💯💯