47: Does my level of effort match the level of my desire?

Sometimes, I wonder if I’m confusing motion with progress. Like yes, I’m moving, but am I moving in the most effective way?

That’s a question I’ve been asking myself for a while now. Not out of some performance anxiety or pressure to “hustle harder,” but from a place of honesty—real, gut-check honesty. I think about the things I want to do, the kind of life I want to live, the person I hope to become in three years, five years, ten years. And I ask myself: am I putting in the right amount of effort to actually become that person?

Because it’s easy to dream. It’s easy to map out a beautiful future on paper, to get excited about potential, to build a Pinterest board, or a Notion plan. But it’s another thing entirely to live every day in alignment with that vision—to put in the level of effort that kind of future demands.

I saw a tweet recently that hit me hard. It said something along the lines of: “If someone followed you around for one week, would they believe you’re serious about your goals?” That one sentence flipped a switch in my mind. I thought about my routines, my habits, my choices, my distractions, my work ethic—everything. Would they look at me and say, “Yes, this person is building something,” or would they shrug and think I was coasting, playing house with my own life?

To be honest, I think they would say I’m serious. Because I do show up. I put in the time. I make the plans. I follow through. I try to stay consistent. I do the things I say I want to do. And it matters to me that I’m not just talking, but actually working. But even with all that, I’ve found myself asking: Is it enough?

Because being serious isn’t always the same thing as being intentional. And working hard isn’t always the same as working smart or working deep. I’ve realized that effort, while important, has levels. There’s a difference between doing something regularly and doing something with deep, focused, purposeful intensity. And if I say I want an extraordinary life—extraordinary impact, influence, freedom—then shouldn’t my effort reflect that scale?

Sometimes, I wonder if I’m confusing motion with progress. Like yes, I’m moving, but am I moving in the most effective way? Are my efforts targeted, or am I just ticking off tasks? Do I spend more time reacting to life than I do creating the version of it that I want?

And here’s the truth: desire alone won’t cut it. Vision boards won’t carry you. Affirmations are nice, but they need to be backed by action. Effort is the bridge. The more I sit with that thought, the more I realise how sacred effort really is—it’s proof of belief. Every day you show up and do the work, you’re saying to yourself, “I believe this is possible.” Not just in theory, but in practice. That kind of effort becomes a habit, and habits build character. And ultimately, your character will carry you further than ambition ever could.

But this reflection isn’t about guilt-tripping myself into burnout. It’s not about shaming myself into thinking I don’t do enough. It’s about alignment. About honesty. About asking, Is the way I live each day aligned with the future I keep saying I want?

Because it’s so easy to want something deeply, and still live casually. And casual effort gives you casual results. What I’m after is not perfection, but alignment. I want to be able to look back and say, “Yes, I lived on purpose.” That I didn’t just dream, but I matched those dreams with discipline. That I didn’t just desire more—I worked like someone who actually expected to receive more.

So I guess this question—Does my level of effort match the level of my desire?—is not meant to discourage me, but to challenge me. To help me refine. To help me focus. It’s a question I want to keep asking myself again and again, especially on the days where I feel like I’m just going through the motions.

Because I know what I want. I know who I want to be. And more than anything, I want to live a life that reflects that clarity. A life where my effort doesn’t just look good from the outside, but actually builds something real on the inside.

And if someone were to follow me around for a week, I want them to feel it—not just in my routines, but in my energy. My focus. My decisions. My discipline. I want them to say, “This person isn’t just dreaming—they’re building.”

That’s the goal. That’s the standard.

And the only way to get there—is to keep showing up. Not just with effort, but with the kind of effort that’s worthy of the future I say I want.

Enough about me. Over to you please, does your level of effort match the level of your desire?

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