We all define success differently. We can assess it through BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals), SBAGs (Stretching But Achievable Goals), SMART (Speciific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) objectives, roadmaps, timelines, sprints and a multitude of other measurement tools.
These all have their place, however how often do we view ”success” from the perspective of expectations rather than deliverables? For example if we happened to be playing our first full game of tennis and lost it, would we consider that a success? Possibly, as we played out first full game, or possibly not, as we lost it. What if in our next match we won our first set or game? Would we call this match a success? Again , this will depend on our pre-match expectations.
It’s easy to compare ourselves to others. Theodore Roosevelt is attributed to have said “comparison is the thief of joy”. I believe comparison is also the thief of achievement, particularly in the areas where our strengths lie. If we compare our weaknesses against someone else’s strengths, we’re not focusing on our top 20% – the things that we can do really well.
By focussing on our core strengths, we can intensify our work ethic, increase our capacity to be better tomorrow than we are today, better avoid the self-imposed comfort zone, and find it a lot easier to show gratitude for our strengths and what we can achieve through Following One Course Until Success.
What are your expectations of “success”? How intense is your FOCUS to deliver through your strengths? If we focus on the things we are best at, success will be right around the corner.