Success Takes Forever (Sorry)
Time Space Warp #35
Hey—It’s Toffer.
The other day, I saw someone on Facebook ask, “What’s the secret to making it big?”
Estimated read time: 5 minutes
And for a split second, I thought, Maybe this is it. Maybe someone finally cracked the code. Because if there were a clear path to success, you can bet I’d have set up a Trello board, blocked time on my Google Calendar, and built a foolproof system to follow it.
But, of course, the answers were the usual: “Work hard.” “Stay consistent.” “Manifest it.” Because apparently, if you just stare at your vision board long enough, a gazillion pesos will drop into your lap.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far: time doesn’t care how badly you want it.
I used to think that if I just kept going, if I filled my days with hustle and determination, the universe would eventually hand me a win. But time doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t reward effort; it rewards leverage—the ability to create something valuable enough that time starts working for you instead of against you.
So maybe the better question isn’t “How do I make it big?” but “What can I build that compounds over time?”
Because time is either:
A debt—you keep trading more of it for things that won’t last.
An investment—you put it into something that grows and gives back.
The trick is to stop spending time like a clueless tourist blowing all their cash on overpriced souvenirs and start investing it like someone who knows they’re in this for the long game.
So the real game is figuring out:
What can I build today that’ll be worth ten times more in the future?
What skill can I develop that time will reward instead of replace?
How can I mix two weirdly specific things I’m good at and turn them into something new?
Because that’s where the magic happens. When you stop trying to hack time and instead align with it—creating something that gets better, stronger, and more valuable the longer you stick with it.
Of course, this part requires courage.
Because it won’t be fast. It won’t be easy. You’ll spend years feeling like you’re playing an endless waiting game, watching other people hit milestones while you’re still figuring things out. And then, just when you’re about to lose it—something clicks.
Not because you forced it. But because time finally caught up with your effort.
So, no, I don’t have a magic formula. And I still don’t know how this whole "making it" thing works. But I do know that if you can build something that time respects, have the courage to stick with it, and find a way to laugh when things take longer than expected—
You’ll be just fine.
Your Friend in Time,
Toffer
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