Mythbusting: The overnight success.

January 31, 2025

Gather ‘round as we tell a story that’s as old as time: that of The Overnight Success.

After a full day of work, you flop down on the couch and turn on the television to see what you missed in the Olympics. Exuberant text flashes across the bottom of the screen as slow-motion replays show every angle of a moment of glory, and excited announcers exclaim that a child prodigy has broken a record in the 100-meter sprint.

“Wow!” you also exclaim, to no one but you and your cat. But a tinge of comparison prompts further musing: “That’s amazing but…I sure wasn’t doing that at that age (or any age for that matter).” Your cat looks back at you knowingly.

Ah, comparison – also known as the thief of joy.

From an outside perspective, it’s tempting to assume that the Olympic champion was born ready for competition or, at the very least, had their success come easy. And while there undoubtedly are factors of talent / genetics / opportunity at play, once upon a time every Olympian was a toddler wobbling across the floor just like the rest of us.

Even for a toddler’s first steps, it might seem like the little one just stood up one day and decided to walk – but this overlooks all of the efforts that led to that pivotal moment. While the path to gold medal glory is a few steps beyond this, it’s not so different in that there were many unseen steps taken before a goal was achieved.

The myth of overnight success leaves out all of the muscle development, failed attempts, bruised knees, and determination it took to reach the milestone.


Success doesn’t happen overnight. To assume so discredits the hours / years / lifetime of hard work that added up to it. Yet, often we compare our messy work-in-progress with others’ final results. Not only is this unreasonable, it also saps our personal willpower and motivation when it comes to learning new things – because how can we measure up?

We can see this when it comes to conflict – or rather, when we’re learning to deal with conflict better. The path to progress is nonlinear with many peaks and valleys. When it gets difficult or you make a mistake, it can be tempting to conclude that it’s simply not your strength. Better to leave it to the experts (gestures nebulously towards the Mediation Services team) and give up.

But let’s not jump to conclusions prematurely.

Drops of water into a cup adds up

Recognizing when we’re getting down on ourselves because of an unreasonable comparison is important because it leaves out the wholeness of someone else’s experience. When this happens, remember that what might appear as sudden mastery is actually the culmination of developmental building blocks stacked one upon another.

Just as a child doesn’t suddenly wake up knowing how to read, other skills don’t arrive fully formed. They are built through daily efforts, stumbles, and small victories – moments when no one is watching and progress can seem frustratingly slow. Developing mastery comes not because there weren’t any setbacks; it comes because we stick with it despite the setbacks.


It is indeed daunting to stay consistent in our efforts, but the good news is that you aren’t alone in the challenge of learning new things. It’s just a part of it – and empathizing with others in this helps us understand the broader arc of life and that they too have faced this frustration (gestures nebulously towards the Mediation Services team). Action beats waiting for motivation, and understanding this shared humanity serves as a healthy personal inspiration to show up.

There’s no escaping the time required to refine skills, which extends beyond our physical abilities to our role in relationships. With time, we can become a better athlete. With time, we can become a better partner, friend, and colleague. This iterative process is the key to growth, and it’s done quietly and often without public recognition.


We’ve used a lot of different examples to unpack the idea of overnight success. One our team obviously specialize in is conflict resolution, and in this we invite you to join us for a training (online or in-person) to kickstart your learning in that regard. It comes with homework: applying it to your life. But don’t worry, if you have questions or your efforts fall flat, we’re here to support in whatever way we can if you need it (contact us here).

The story of overnight success isn’t about a penultimate moment of triumph, but about the countless hours of development that made that moment possible. It’s about understanding that every great achievement is simply the visible peak of a mountain of effort, determination, and persistence.

So let’s get inspired to attend to difficult things! Career, finances, relationships – just like learning to walk or becoming an Olympian, individual moments in the various facets of our lives add up to the longer arc of success.

If you have questions,
please don’t hesitate to call.

1-204-925-3410

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