Success is a habit
But most people get this wrong.
Most people get this wrong.
Success isn’t a milestone. It’s not some kind of goal you put in front of you and burn yourself out to achieve.
Because when you achieve it?
What’s next?
That’s the thing! The a-ha moment: you set another goal.
That’s not success. It’s a grind.
Most people chase achievement.
High achievers chase progress.
The difference?
One burns out.
The other compounds. It’s not glamorous. It’s boring even. But it’s unstoppable.
True success is in the progress.
In the small wins that come from repetition.
Every successful writer, leader, sportsman and high achiever in general started from zero. They just stayed long enough.
And here’s the other misconception: it’s not about to just keep moving.
It’s about continuously improving.
If something is not working, you won’t make it, even if you keep trying the same thing for 10 years.
That’s the definition of insanity. But we, humans, are the only species in Nature that keep doing the same thing over and over and over again. Stubbornly.
Here’s an old but gold book about how and why we do that.
Here’s the mindset shift I had:
Stop measuring outcomes.
Start measuring momentum.
Three questions that most people overlook:
What small win I have recently?
Even if it seems stupid. Name it.What did I learn?
One sentence. Not a TED Talk.What’s one thing I’ll improve tomorrow?
Make it specific. Then walk away.
These questions turn achievement into a habit.
They will keep you from taking the battles that are not yours to win. They will move you toward continuous growth.
And once success becomes familiar, you stop fearing failure. You realize that failure is part of the process. You start expecting it, prepared for it. Much like you start also expect growth.
Tonight, answer those 3 questions.
Write them down somewhere visible.
Do it again tomorrow.
And the next day.
You’ll stop obsessing over goals.
And start operating like someone who gets there no matter what.
Because success isn’t what you hit.
It’s what you repeat.
And remember to have a GUT time in the process!
Yana
P.S. If you know someone who has trouble dealing with emotions, send them this link.