Think of your life like a library. As you live and learn, the knowledge and skills you acquire get written in books and put on the shelf. As you gain more experience the volumes grow with the added information, and at any time you can reference them as needed.

What subjects will you study the most?

We recommend starting off with Patience. If we're lucky, life is long. You'll have plenty of experiences to savor, so don't get caught up always looking to the next one. The best things take time—don't rush them.

That being said, there is great value in Hustle. You may not be able to control time, but you can certainly control how much you get done in the time you're given. Hustle is the only way to get ahead.

Once you've learned the forces of Patience and Hustle, it's time to study Focus. Giving complete attention to the task at hand is the only way to be truly effective at anything. Block out everything nonessential.

Persistence is the second edition of Patience. Anything worthwhile takes time and effort, but you can't just call it a day and hope for the momentum to carry. It takes prolonged commitment to the goal.

Grind is the lightest volume on the shelf. That's because so much of its value comes from practical application. When it comes to late nights, early mornings, and putting in the work even when you don't want to, words can't do justice. You have to live it.

Sacrifice is more of a philosophical read. It's all about analyzing what you truly value in life. What do you want more than anything versus what are you willing to give up for it. Sleep, wealth, friends, time, power... There will be moments when you will have to trade one for another.

Ambition should be saved for last. Once you study it and find your target in life, there's nothing left to do but go for the dream. So make sure you have the skills you need first.

"Shelf to Success" original canvas wall artwork from IKONICK holds all the textbooks you need in life. With patience, hustle, focus, persistence, the ability to grind, sacrifice, and ambition, there's no limit to what you can achieve. Life will test you, make sure to study well.