The Courage of Success
Setting goals to
drive revenues and profits is part of doing business. We all strive to be
successful in business and in life. When we are young, we look for careers
that will make us successful to get the things we want such as a beautiful
house, cars, and money. Most people define success as the ultimate goal.
However, there are other ways to look at success.
"Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to
continue that counts." ~ Winston Churchill
Churchill defined success and failure as a journey instead of the end goal.
How do you define success? If you look at success and failure as part of a
journey instead of an end goal, life looks very different. Instead of
always striving to seek the end, you are marking points along the pathway
as measures of success and failure. None of these points is the ultimate
goal, but rather, destinations that you can reach and surpass.
When you define success in this manner, it takes much of the stress away as
you pursue your goals. While still working to create success, whether that
is a monetary target or achieving other goals such as graduating from
school, gaining particular skills, or training an employee successfully,
you know that each point is not an end. In fact, each time you achieve
success, it is a beginning of the next segment of your journey.
On the flip side, defining success as part of the path means that failure
is also part of the path, and not a crushing blow. While no one likes to
fail, you can take your failure as a learning opportunity to improve the
next time you journey in the same direction. Breaking down the road to
success into smaller, doable achievements can help you gain strength to
pursue your goals and succeed multiple times.
Churchill said, "It is the courage to continue that counts."
Sometimes, we wake up in the morning and want to be anywhere except at
work. However, a successful business person is the one who continues to
work day after day whether they want to or not. It takes courage to
persevere during the good times and bad, especially when you are not sure
if you will be successful that day. When the economy is tough, and business
is hard to find, it takes courage to keep looking for new customers.
It also takes courage to change with the times. No matter how long you have
been in business, change is inevitable. These days it seems to come faster
than ever. However, success means the courage to make the changes that will
help you continue to grow in business. In fact, your successful business
influences the world around you. As your business continues to flourish,
you add to the economy and help bolster the lives of everyone that you touch.
Your courage to continue along a successful pathway creates a ripple
effect. By setting an example for your employees, your customers, your
vendors, and your family and friends, you show everyone the true meaning of
success. You have the courage to continue moving forward.
|
|
