Achieving Authentic Success
This journal entry is designed to be a follow-on from Discovering Your Authentic Ambition. I'd highly recommend reading through that first.
Once we have a clear and well-defined Authentic Ambition then the next logical step is how we turn that vision into something tangible and observable. There is a big difference between having ambition and achieving success. The difference lies in taking action and making progress. By progress, I mean that we can observe outcomes of our actions, regardless of whether we perceive those outcomes to be positive or negative. Either way, we are causing things to happen.
I'll use a football match to put what I am talking about into context. When the two teams line up before the start of the game, their ambition is usually clear. They want to win the game. However, if no action was taken - i.e no one kicked the ball, then there is no way of knowing whether the team's ambition will be realised (plus it would make for an incredibly boring game).
It is only through action that the team can work towards achieving their ambition. Sometimes the results go in their favour and sometimes they don't. Just because they have the ambition to win, does not mean that the results will always match their expectations. There will always be results that defy the odds. However, by being actively involved in trying to influence the outcome you would hope that the team would learn, adapt and progress over time as they become more experienced.
When it comes to putting your purpose into practice, it is worth being the player that always steps out onto the pitch and shows up day-in, day-out. There will always be examples of people who are experts at commentating on or analysing the game. They know what they should do, where they need to improve and what strategies to use to get better results. However, I hope you would see that the commentary has no direct influence on the result. These people are in the stands and not out on the pitch where the important action happens.
Therefore a good starting point is to ask yourself:
"When it comes to my authentic ambition am I the key player on the pitch or am I currently sitting in the stands?"
If it is the latter I would encourage you to get your kit on and step out onto the field of play, that is where the real magic happens.
What I am talking about here is taking full accountability and responsibility for producing results in your life, especially results that will take you a step closer to where you want to be. If results go your way, then great, time to celebrate! If they don't, then they become useful lessons to help you learn and grow. Without action, I am confident that:
- You will never know what the result could have been, either way.
- You will never get better at being able to produce results.
- You will never progress towards your ambition.
Simply put: Without action, you cannot hope to turn your Authentic Ambition into Authentic Success.
That is: "Achieving results, goals and a lifestyle that represents who you truly are"
With that in mind, a sensible question to ask is:
"How do I take my Authentic Ambition (a statement that is probably broad, vague and idealistic) and turn it into something that I can take action on?"
Your answer to this is important because whether you are aware of it or not, your brain loves specificity when it comes to taking action. If you think about some of the habits you have (i.e brushing your teeth, getting dressed, your commute to work) they all consist of a number of intricate steps you perform without thinking about it. Without that detail, your brain would not be able to store the process in your procedural memory to such a degree that your body can perform those actions better than the mind can. Next time, try tying your shoelaces in a different way, brush your teeth with your opposite hand or take a different route to work. You will find that you will have to think about the steps in more detail than you usually have to.
I also believe that there isn't one simple right answer to this question. It will naturally vary based on what is authentic and feels right to the individual and the level of ambition they have.
That being said I would like to share some principles that I personally have found useful:
Success leaves clues
Once you have an ideal end state in mind, it is useful to know if anyone else has either already achieved it or is living it. Notice I did not mention the words "talking about achieving it" - be wary of those that talk a good talk, but have never walked the walk. Find mentors or people that have been there and done what you are trying to do and learn from them. Learn their strategies and tailor them to your current situation.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together
Your authentic ambition naturally will be unique to you. However, that does not mean that you always need to walk your path alone. Find people that are on a similar journey and develop a supportive network that you can call upon when needed. In some cases, you may even find people that want to join you on your journey because they are seeking a similar outcome. Also, it is a far better feeling to celebrate your successes with the people you care about, than to celebrate on your own. We are social creatures by nature.
Master your mindset
If you reflect on it, a significant proportion of the challenges, obstacles and issues you face are created and exist solely within your mind. I am talking about things like fear, worry, self-doubt, anxiety, being over-analytical, limiting beliefs and stress to name a few. However, none of these put us in a state where we feel ready or motivated to take action. In dealing with these natural challenges we begin to cultivate a mindset that empowers us to take action and to powerfully deal with the resulting outcome.
Integrity = intentional action
In this context, integrity means "when you say you are going to do something, you do it as it was meant to be done." Integrity gives power to your words. Imagine a world where what you say happens. If you say you want to lose 5kgs of weight, you lose 5kgs of weight. If you say you want to achieve a promotion, you go and get promoted. You pay attention to the words you use, what you commit to and most importantly you follow through on your commitments.
Healthy is wealthy
When you have good health, you have an endless range of possibilities and dreams that you can pursue. When you are sick, you typically have one goal which is to get better and recover. Therefore it is important to optimise your health through sleep, diet, exercise, and spending time on your mental and emotional well-being.
Done is a good antidote to perfectionism
In the past, I have been a victim of perfectionism. At times it even prevented me from getting started because I was waiting for the "perfect strategy" or the "perfect moment" to begin. The same goes with spending too much time on a project, trying to perfect it. Improvement is an iterative process that requires feedback and to do that you need to stop at a certain point. Also what is "perfect" anyway? It is a subjective word that means different things to different people. Done is always better. By finishing or completing a goal, a new one can begin.
Don't fight reality, you'll lose
Unrealistic expectations are the enemy of happiness and satisfaction. While expectations have their uses, unrealistic expectations divorce your perception from reality. We then believe that the result or outcome should be different compared to what it is. We don't accept what happened and that can cause us to suffer, feel frustrated, or even feel downright vengeful. If your path is taking you through unknown territory then I'd recommend learning to accept that whatever happens, happens - even if you disagree with it. Sometimes there are events that happen that we cannot control.
Self-reflect and adjust accordingly
Life constantly changes and so do you. Even though you may define your Authentic Ambition at one moment in time, does not mean that it will be the same in 5, 10, 15 or 20 years. Your destination can change over time and you can adapt to that by adjusting the path you take through life. Don't constrain yourself by believing that your path or destiny is fixed in stone. Instead think of it like clay, mouldable and changeable in your hands.
Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness
A whole world of opportunity opens for us if we can reframe our mindset around asking for help. You will notice that often major success is a team effort, not an individual one. Even professional athletes that compete in individual sports can have a team consisting of a coach, personal trainer, nutritionist, personal assistant, and a social media manager for example. A CEO of a company has an executive team and sometimes even a board to support them with strategic decision-making. Asking for help to get you closer to your goal is a smart move.
Personally, this is where I find coaching incredibly useful. Coaches often help their clients by exploring different perspectives, connecting the dots, and supporting the client in defining their goals and strategies to achieve them. They say two heads are better than one and I find this to be especially true in coaching, where the coach is fully aligned and committed to helping the client achieve their goals.
If you are seriously committed to achieving Authentic Success in your life then I would recommend investing in your future by taking on a coach.
