Achieving a goal requires hard work and sacrifice. Read most autobiographies and you will hear about great sacrifice for a single goal.

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

What are your Goals?

But what goals are you setting that require great sacrifice? Many will sacrifice their leisure time to work extra hours to pay for their child’s college. Or they stay at work late to help a coworker finish an important project. Or they spend years of their lives training to be the best in their field. Or they sacrifice relationships so their business could prosper. Or they sacrifice peace for freedom.

But sacrificing for your goals isn’t something to take lightly. The costs can be extreme and can out-weigh the wins associated with reaching the goal.

The Sacrifice I had to Make

In a previous business venture, I experienced this. I set out to reach a goal and spent years working hard and sacrificing many things to push towards the goal. I reached a point where I needed to sacrifice more to keep growing the business.

I spoke to a mentor of mine who had great success in the industry I was in. He told me about his journey to the top. And then, almost nonchalantly said, “yea but I guess I should have spent more time with my kids. They barely know me now. But it was the sacrifice I had to make.”

This took me by surprise. I always thought sacrifice was about giving up leisure time. I thought it was about being willing to outwork others. It was about being resilient in the face of adversity. Suddenly I realized what sacrifice for a goal means. Sometimes it means sacrificing your own children for fame and fortune.

Sacrifice What is Important

Years ago, I went to a friend's birthday party. He convinced a friend to hold the party on a $2 million-dollar yacht. This is very unusual for me and I was curious what the owner of the boat did. He preceded to tell me about his business. He invested a few hundred dollars and turned it into a multimillion-dollar company.

But as we talked, he emphasized his broken marriage and sacrifices he made to reach that goal. He even went on to talk about the sacrifice of his health for years at a time. He talked about his strained relationship with his son.

How do you Know When to Stop Sacrificing?

Several times in my life I reached a point where the sacrifice outweighed the reward. This is different for everyone. They key is to know what is important to you. Putting blind ambition behind a goal is a recipe for disaster. The sacrifices you make could be far beyond what you could receive from reaching the goal.

Committing Crime for Family

A few years in Cleveland, a politician was being sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence. He committed numerous crimes and lived a lavish lifestyle. He said to the judge, “I did it all for my family.”

Some people are willing to commit criminal acts so their family lives in a nice neighborhood. Or they do it so they could buy expensive gifts for their spouse. Other people sacrifice their family or relationships in the pursuit of a goal.

Know What is Important to you

The only way to avoid making the wrong sacrifice for you is to know your values and what is important to you.

Understand that sacrifice is necessary for success. Great success generally comes with great sacrifice. But be unwavering in your values to avoid making a sacrifice that isn’t worth making.

“One life is all we have, live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.” - Joan of Arc