Yesterday was one of the longest days of work I’ve had during my stay in New York. My boss told me that the day would be long and exhausting, so I wanted to prepare myself mentally.  The night before, I went to bed early and set out my clothes with the intention of setting myself up for the best day possible. As soon as I woke up for work the next morning, I was pumped. I knew I was going to do my best to give the day my all. I walked to work smiling and happy, ready for the day that lied ahead.

When I arrived to work I was proud of myself, I got there a little bit earlier than usual and had a pleasant attitude. As the morning commenced, I did my daily ritual of good mornings to staff and checked in with my supervisor. When I arrived at the kitchen area, I realized that one of the senior producers of the show I work on was already there working.

This producer is a hard worker and takes her job very seriously. When I saw that she was already working tirelessly on a project for today’s show before I even got there, I was blown away. Here I was thinking that I was so cool and going the extra mile because I arrived early when this Senior Producer was already well into her project for the day and had the ball rolling.

As the day went on I used her work ethic as motivation. Throughout the entire day, this producer was on her A-game, working harder than everyone around and doing it all with a smile. I tried to do the same thing and ended up having a remarkable day. After a lot of teamwork and dedication, I was finally free to go. As I anticipated, when I clocked out, the sun was long gone, and it was night time.

Last night, I was exhausted heading out of the studio. As I went to grab my bag, the same Senior Producer who got there before I did, was in her office preparing for ANOTHER meeting she was holding that night. She was on the phone making calls, I approached her door and whispered, “Have a good night” as I saw she was still deep into work. Quickly she looked up at me with a smile and said, “Thanks, you too” with the warmest smile. I couldn’t fathom holding a meeting after the long day we all just had.

Walking out of the building that night, I realized that no one of significant accomplishments or accolade gets to where they are without hard work. The Senior Producer who I’m referring to in this blog is one of the first names to appear at the end of each show during the credits. She has a lot of power and influence on the show. Her career spans over 15 years, and she’s had a lot of success in her life. That’s how I want to be one day.

There are so many people who experience “success” that fades away. There are some who have viral YouTube videos or have one accomplishment that lasts only for a moment. This kind of success is what you call relevance.

This achievement feels great at the time it happens; everyone talks about it, it’s relevant at that moment but fades away. Artists experience this kind of success all the time when they have #1 songs that no one talks about months after.  (I.E. “Call Me Maybe”, “Fancy” or “Blurred Lines”)

When trying to achieve great success, ask yourself this question:

“Do I Want to Be Relevant or Do I Want to Remain?”

Anyone can do a funny viral video on Facebook, record a catchy tune or make themselves a comedy spectacle. We see that every day. But the ones like Beyoncé, Will Smith, Mariah Carey and the senior producer at my job, those are the people who work tirelessly at what they do to experience the kind of success that remains. You can see it clear as day, the people that truly have the success that lasts longer than a moment work so hard at what they do. They are the ones sacrificing time with their family, working longer days than their friends and staying up late to perfect their craft. That’s the kind of success I desire to have, so I know that I will have to work 10x harder to be the best at whatever I do.

Parents have the kind of success that remains when they raise children who become extraordinary people. They put in the work.

Teachers have the success that remains when their students learn something new and go on to do great work in the world. They put in the work.

Businessmen have the success that remains when their businesses keep profiting and making money. They put in the work.

All real success that remains is predestined with hard work and dedication. Always aim to do work that remains.