Success Is
Business Mindset, Get Out Of Your Own Way
So often in our businesses we are surrounded by other people’s notions of success. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others. Do we have the success that they have? Do we have the house, the car, the lifestyle that they have?
What are we doing wrong?
What do we need to do differently?
I find it totally exhausting when I catch myself in this thought spiral of comparison. Because I can never seem to measure up or be enough. There’s always someone who is moving faster. Who’s being smarter. Who’s more engaging… the list goes on and on.
As I have gotten older, I’ve come to realize that I can’t measure my personal success by my possessions or my accomplishments. Possessions come and go. The joy that comes from an accomplishment is short-lived. The most important piece — you can’t control your outcomes! No matter how much effort you put in — what comes out is not in your control. We’ve all experienced disappointment in this way.
How you feel about something is the only thing that is within your control. The effort you put into it. And the feeling you get from completing your tasks to the best of your ability.
For me:
Personal success is coaching business owners to the best of my ability, releasing the need to have control over the outcomes of my work, being flexible in the face of uncertainty, honoring my path as it unfolds, and being the best human being I know how to be with my friends and family, clients and colleagues.
When I remember this definition of success, everything becomes easier. I can release the pressure of comparison and control. And I can surrender to the outcomes in front of me instead of wishing things to be different.
Now it’s your turn. I encourage you to write your definition of success. Stick to writing feelings instead of outcomes. Stick to writing how you want to behave and react. These are the things that you have control over. And when you are finished — write this definition on something you can see every day. It will make the journey much more enjoyable.
What is Success To You?
- What do you want to feel?
- How do you want to react?
- How do you want to behave?
Photo: flickr, Jean S.
