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What does it take to be a success? Better question: Are you successful?
In this Digital Age where every one is on the record and we are living through a privacy / transparency revolution, I wonder if your self-perception has changed. I wonder if you’re missing out on the fact that you may already be a success.
I remember pay phones and land lines. There was a time when you could call someone and if they weren’t home to answer your call, there was no other way to reach them immediately.
I remember when the local news came on at 6AM, 5PM and 10PM. And journalists gathered yesterday’s news into tidy little articles and delivered them to people’s doorsteps as newspapers.
I remember when television went off at 2AM. There was no more programming until 6AM.
Today, the news runs in 15-minute cycles, around the clock. Yesterday’s news gets buried under today’s headlines because we have instant access to a global news feed coming right to our phones.
We carry our phones on us and sleep with them beside us. People actually become worried or offended if we go for more than an hour or two without answering or returning their calls.
We are living through the Internet of Things, where everything and everyone is connected somehow.
I would venture a solid bet that living through this period where everything is always on has changed your behavior in subtle ways. You may have the nagging suspicion that you are supposed to always be “on” too.
That’s fine. The problem comes in when my version of being “on” doesn’t look as exciting, interesting, or profitable as your version of being “on” (whether you’re faking it or not). Then I’m tempted to start minimizing the importance of my own wins in a never-ending search for the next best thing. After all, I want to be a success too!
Be a Success in Drips AND Deluges – It’s Still Success!
Contrary to what reality TV and Facebook feeds would have you believe, success is not some high ideal, reserved for a meager few of us. We can all be successful at something, and we all experience successes in our lives.
If you are old enough to read this, you’ve successfully survived your environment so far.
If you graduated high school – whether as the homecoming queen, class slacker, the head nerd, or as nobody from nowhere – that’s another success.
If you were able to buy your most recent car – any kind of car – that’s a win for you! Winter’s here and having a car trumps catching the bus.
My point? Don’t miss out on the chance to enjoy your successes because you won’t just sit down and enjoy your station in life.
That’s not to say you should just be so satisfied you refuse to make progress. But this year, make it a habit to be grateful for the little wins while you’re looking forward to big wins. It’s not hard to be a success when you understand one truth:
Small success is still success.
Developing a habit of being grateful will help you identify your many successes.
