What does it mean to be successful?

The local cricket association has its grand final weekend starting tomorrow and it’s a time of year that I look forward to every year. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance again this year to have a crack at winning premiership number two. I was thinking a little about it during the week and I remember thinking when I won my first premiership in 2005 in the thirds that it was the most successful I had ever felt. Sure it was a cracking grand final with a first innings tie and the result going down to the wire in the 2nd innings, three exciting days of cricket and I just happened to find myself in the middle when the game was there to be won but why should I rate that more highly then being a part of a team or organisation that overachieves even though they don’t get the honour of being recognised as the best?

Is success just a title or emotion that we assign to ourselves when we feel like it or is it actually something that we can dream up, plan for, take steps towards, take steps backwards and eventually fulfil the dream and become successful?

I believe in the latter and I believe every business person needs to experience the feeling of being successful because it does two things.
Makes you feel bloody good about yourself
Inspires you to push harder and become more successful (& increase your wealth!)

In business we tend to measure success on a year by year basis because it conveniently works around the end of the financial year. Should a business be dissatisfied with their performance because they don’t finish the year recognised as the number one leader in their industry & area? This is why it is important to sit down at the beginning of the year and lay out your hopes and dreams for the coming year. Make them realistic and stick to them. Next is the plan, how do you achieve these things? Do you need to set a pattern of meetings to monitor your progress towards these goals? What shake up in your organisational structure do you need in order to put yourself in the best possible position to achieve your goals? What extra resources do you need to purchase to expand your capacity and achieve your goals? Will you have enough cash to fund your operations during this time or should you consider an overdraft facility with the bank?

Finally & most importantly, celebrate achieving your goals. Enjoy the feeling of success & share that feeling with the people you work with and the people who associate with you. Motivate them to achieve success if they are not currently achieving it. Then restart the process, dream big, set the goals, set the plan and do it all again.

Remember, the current market leaders you are trying to chase down didn’t open their doors and become the best overnight. They had goals, they laid a plan and they worked hard at it. Now its your turn.

Good luck to all teams competing for the holy grail this weekend in the SCA.

Cheers,
Luke.