As I am a volunteer gym instructor in my local gym, I noticed that the gym is a bit empty the weeks before the new year, but I also know that come January, it will be packed again with people that are looking to deliver on their New Year’s resolutions. That is great and all, but history shows that come February, the gym is back to normal again with the regulars strolling in at 06:30 in the morning and not many others. The excuses of the people that stop going to the gym vary widely, but the common theme is that they prioritize something else over the gym. That is of course true for almost everything in life: to achieve any success in any field, the key factor is to simply show up. To be there. It matters a little less what you do once you get there as you’ll typically get sucked into doing the work anyway. The key to success often is simply, boring consistency. To put in the effort day after day. To grind away at it also on the days when you don’t feel like it. To be a professional rather than an amateur. As the saying goes: amateurs do what they like; professionals like what they do. As we are soon entering the holiday season and we’ll be reflecting on life and on next steps, my challenge to you is to decide whether you are an amateur or a professional. That doesn’t mean that you can’t change things up, but you have to do it for the right reasons.