Author’s Note: This is part 2 of the Overcoming the Fear of Success series. If fear of success sounds absurd to you, please check out part 1 of the series, where I try to explain what fear of success means to me.
Do you consider yourself successful?
If you answered yes, why do you consider yourself successful? If you answered no, what would it take to change your mind?
For the longest time, I thought that success for me would be something like writing a bestselling book, making a fortune on royalties, and then retiring to a nice suburban neighborhood. But while this idea still sounds nice (writing a bestselling book is definitely on my to-do list…eventually), I’ve come to have a completely different viewpoint on what success is – and what success requires of me.
Success really is a process. There isn’t a signpost or finish line to tell us: “Congratulations, you’re now a successful person! It’s time to rest on your laurels…”
On the contrary, success is a lifestyle. A long-term commitment to improving your life and the lives of people you love. It’s a path that never really ends.
Which creates a few problems. One problem is that long commitments are difficult to make. It’s easy to talk about doing something for the next ten or twenty years. But it’s hard to keep your vision alive when you actually get into the day-to-day grind. I think that’s a big reason why so many people (and especially entrepreneurs) burn out so quickly.
A second problem is that a lifestyle of success isn’t the same for everyone – and it won’t even be the same for you five years from now. In just a few short years of working, I’ve had to make so many changes to my habits, my outlook, and my goals – too many to list out here. For the most part, I think I’ve made good changes (such as learning to get up early in the morning, learning to delegate as a manager, and learning that hard work is a habit), but they weren’t always easy changes to make.
23 Ways to Keep it Going
When I look out at the future, and at the long path that’s still ahead of me, it’s not hard to get discouraged. When you’re feeling a little down about the road ahead, try some of these:
- Set big goals and little goals. Always look at the future, but don’t forget about what you can accomplish today.
- Set new goals every day. Since success is a process, make sure there’s always something new to achieve.
- Take things one week at a time. Break your schedule into manageable chunks and take on each chunk separately.
- Accomplish at least one thing every day. Even if it’s something small. Like writing a blog post, for example.
- Keep a journal. Write down your accomplishments every day and read over them when you’re feeling burned out. There’s no better encouragement.
- Write a blog. Share your knowledge with others. You’ll realize that you’ve learned and accomplished much more than you thought.
- List your priorities – then stick to them. Learn to be disciplined. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted from the things that really matter to you.
- Read something inspiring. Try reading a few blogs. They’re great places to find inspiring stories.
- Read something funny. Laughter may be good medicine, but it’s also a great way to recharge your batteries. I suggest FailBlog.
- Get to know your colleagues. You can work with someone 8 hours a day and never really know them. Don’t waste the opportunity!
- Reward yourself. Even a mental pat on the back will do wonders.
- Reward someone who supports you. It will make you feel better. I promise. I bought my girlfriend a Wii and Rock Band 2 a few weeks back, and I’m pretty sure I was more excited about her present than she was!
- Be grateful for something. It can be something as simple as a good night’s sleep. But it will keep you in a happy, productive mood today.
- Be proud of something. If you’ve done something great, don’t be shy! Never ever discount your own achievements. It really doesn’t matter if everyone else tells you you’re awesome. What really matters is that you think you’re awesome.
- Vent your frustration. Just do it constructively – write it down, walk it off, or find a caring shoulder to cry on. My personal favorite? Punching cardboard boxes. Very satisfying, and never hurts anyone
- Work even harder. Sometimes the best way to get out of a slump is just to power yourself through it. You might discover that the barriers were all in your head. Happens to me all the time.
- Take a time out. After working (and freezing) indoors for two hours, it feels so good to walk outside and warm up a bit. I find that my head’s always clearer when I go back inside.
- Take a vacation. Something I really, really should do soon.
- Do something you enjoy. Even if it’s not exactly productive. Don’t feel guilty about taking a break – just make sure you really focus when the break is over.
- Get the hard part over with. You know what I’m talking about. That one thing you’ve been putting off all day. Or all week. Or all year. Just get it over with!
- Get some exercise. My favorites are bodyweight exercises (pushups, situps, etc.), since you can do them virtually anywhere – as long as you don’t mind getting a few confused looks. If you’ve got a little more room, might I suggest trying kettlebells?
- Try something absurd. Some of the best ideas in the history of business have come about in strange ways. The Post-It note, for example. As long as it doesn’t break anything, why not give something new and unusual a shot? At worst, you’ll get a good laugh out of it.
- Try again. You’ll be glad you did.
How do you deal with the long process of success? What changes have you made in the course of your career? Did those changes help you or hurt you? Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment!
- Jeffrey