I am excited to share the first lesson in my new '10 Lessons on Winning' series.

I grew up in Michigan.

The Rust Belt.

Where hard work wasn’t a way of life.

It was a means of survival.

My father had two jobs his whole life.

At 16, he enlisted in the United States Navy.

He served as a cook for a decade on aircraft carriers and minesweepers.

The next 40 years were spent in a factory.

His hands were calloused, but not his heart.

He always felt blessed to have the opportunity to serve his country.

And a job that served his family.

My father is a giver.

He cared for my mother for the better part of 34 years.

She suffered from debilitating mental illness.

The demons were relentless and never left her alone.

After losing my mother, my dad was fortunate to find love again.

Things were great, at first.

Until Jane got sick.

First, cancer.

Then again, and again and again.

Four times she fought this devastating monster.

She was courageous.

A fighter.

And there he was—by her side.

Cooking and Cleaning.

Laughing and praying.

He was a nurse and medic.

Motivator and companion.

Her best friend.

When one wavered, the other was steadfast.

When one was weak, the other was strong.

They never complained.

They just did the work.

And it was work.

Hard work.

A labor of love.

Emotionally and physically.

And together they conquered cancer.

Then came Parkinson’s.

When the doctor gave them the news, my dad looked at his bride and said, “Time to go to work.”

And that’s exactly what they did.

For the next 17 years, they worked.

Physical therapy.

Occupationally therapy.

Speech therapy.

No complaining.

No blaming.

Just work.

They did what was necessary—when most people would have laid down and quit.

There are days when I want to quit.

There are days when life is heavy, and I’m not sure I can keep going.

On those days I think of her.

I think of him.

I think of their work ethic and belief.

And I remind myself: It’s time to go to work.

When I was a boy, my dad taught me the value of hard work.

If I wanted something, it was up to me to figure out how to get it.

Mowing lawns.

Delivering newspaper before dawn.

Shoveling snow for neighbors.

He would always say, “If you want it bad enough, you’ll do the work.”

It was the ultimate litmus test.

People often come up to me after a speech and say, “I want to do what you do.”

But the truth is—most people aren’t willing to do what I’ve done.

They want to haveauthored a book.

They want to be a storyteller or keynote speaker.

Most will never do the work to be or havethe things they say they want.

Winning is hard.

There will be obstacles and roadblocks.

Disappointments and letdowns.

You will stumble and fall.

And it is in those moments when you are down that you get to decide if you want it bad enough to get up and go back to work.

My father is not an educated man, yet at 83 years young, he is perhaps the smartest person I know.

His wisdom is gleaned from a lifetime of showing up and doing the work.

The work that most people won’t do.

But he knows that the secret to winning.

The secret to success.

It is to fight for what you want.

Believe in yourself.

Get up every day and go to work.

Friends, I want to encourage you this week:

Do the work.

Fight for the prize you seek.

Believe that you can.

And outwork everybody.

Winning is waiting.

Now go get it.

Kevin D. Brown is a branding and culture expert. He’s an award-winning motivational storyteller, bestselling author, and the creator of The Hero Effect®.