"There are no shortcuts to meaningful, lasting success." —Jim Key

After I'd lost 100 pounds, people came out of the woodwork asking me how. How?! How did I lose so much weight? And how on earth was I keeping it off?! The answer was so simple. So straightforward. But not what most folks really wanted to hear.

The Unpopular Truth: Hard Work and Determination

Grit and determination. Discipline. Eating a healthier diet. Quietly doing the work. Doing what we've all heard for decades. Focusing on a well-balanced diet and eating fewer calories. Moving my body more. But most people didn't like that answer. Most were looking for a magic answer. A pill. A powder. A patron saint. But there was none. Because there are no shortcuts to meaningful, lasting success.

The Journey to Lasting Success

Meaningful, lasting success? Yes. Not only did I lose 100 pounds, but I then found myself pregnant twice in two years after struggling with infertility for more than ten years. Pregnant twice? Two babies in less than two years? And still, somehow, magically kept the weight off?

But it wasn’t magic. Was it? No, it wasn’t. It was diligence. Discipline. Over the course of two years, I completely reframed my relationship with food, driven by a deep desire to make a meaningful change.

And unknowingly, I'd created my first case study.

Success in Life and Business: The Same Principles Apply

Whether in our personal lives or our business lives, we enhance our chances of achieving lasting success by adopting certain principles and practices.

Wait, weight loss or work? The keys to success are the same?! Why, yes. Yes, they are.

1. Hard Work and Persistence

Long-lasting success often comes from putting in consistent effort over an extended period of time. It took me twenty months to lose 100 pounds. Not two months. Not six months. Twenty months. This made my changes a common practice and a long-term way of life—not a temporary change to achieve a short-term goal. Persistence over time, in the face of challenges, is key.

2. Continuous Learning

Success is often linked to a willingness to learn and adapt. I wanted to make a meaningful change, but to do that, I needed to better understand every part of the process. What to eat. When to eat. How to eat. And why I was eating. Staying curious, learning, and being open to readjusting my thoughts and perspective greatly contributed to sustained success.

3. Effective Planning

Planning and goal-setting were crucial. I knew I had a significant amount of weight to lose. I knew that I wouldn’t achieve my long-term goal overnight. And I knew that there would be challenges along the way. So, I planned for it. I learned how to navigate the birthdays, the holidays, and the other celebrations where food was the main event. And I set milestone goals, celebrating small successes along the way. Having a clear vision and a roadmap helped me stay focused on my long-term goal.

4. Building Relationships

Success is not just about individual achievements but often involves collaboration and effective communication with others. Wait. What?! Community, support, and solidarity? Yes, those. They were key. I built relationships that resulted in a strong community, filled with support from like-minded people. Surrounding myself with folks who were also committed to living a healthier lifestyle and who were cheering for my success. Building those strong relationships has been absolutely critical for sustained success.

5. Honesty and Integrity

Long-lasting success is often built on a foundation of honesty and integrity. I couldn’t lie to myself. No more, "but it’s just one cookie," when it might have, in fact, been an entire cookie cake!! There was no fibbing. And no fudging. I had to face myself honestly, every single day. Because my body would not be fooled. It always knew. Every crumb. Every bite. It counted. And being completely honest with myself, and facing facts—daily—was key.

6. Resilience

The ability to bounce back from setbacks and learn from failures is essential. And even better, to reframe what used to be considered a "failure." Because there are so many opportunities to veer off course every single day. There will be missteps. There will be deviations. But resilience allows you to navigate those challenges, consistently finding your way back to the path for success.

7. Adaptability

Situations and circumstances change. Your favorite chicken tenders from Culver's may be discontinued. Or maybe Publix no longer carries those delicious baked chips. Or maybe your treadmill/Peloton/Stairmaster broke. Adapting to these disruptions is key. Because nothing is static. Everything is iterative, constantly shifting and changing. Adjusting to new circumstances, and embracing the changes as they come, will help you achieve and sustain long-lasting success.

8. Focus on Value Creation

Successful individuals and organizations often focus on creating value, for themselves and for others. For me and my husband, the value of my journey was a healthier body and a better quality of life, resulting in two babies and a completely different lifestyle. In business, it’s about providing products, services, or solutions that meet the needs of others. Enhancing experiences. Changing processes and perspectives. Leading to long-lasting, sustained success.

Conclusion: No Shortcuts, Just Success

And there you have it. Whether personal or business, the principles to long-lasting success are shockingly similar. With a solid foundation of planning, hard work, and perseverance, you can accomplish incredible things every single day.