Earlier in my life, I was very externally focused. I would hear of someone else’s great news and do everything I could to emulate it. Someone would say, “Joe just made a 20% return on his mutual fund” and I would think to myself, “How do I get in on that?” Or I would hear “Suzy just got a promotion and a 15% raise!” and of course think, “What has she done and how can I do the same thing?” I’ve observed this external focus within myself and others as well as organizations, e.g., “Apple has been very innovative in the market, we need to be just like them!”
I learned the hard way that long lasting success does not come as a result of a knee-jerk reaction to a positive external event. Instead, the process starts by looking inward and investing time to clarify a vision that is in alignment with a deep, desired purpose. This visioning process provides an independent path, which enables you to stop comparing yourself to others and start accomplishing what is important to YOU.
It took Thomas Edison some 10,000 experiments to invent the electric light bulb. Consider how many times he might have heard about some external success story and potentially thought himself to be a failure by comparison? He not only had to be absolutely clear on his vision, but completely dedicated to the path his vision illuminated. A vision is original by definition, and thus the path to get there will also require you to push past the frontier and stay focused on the road even though others might not see it.
Take the time to look inward and invest in your vision. If you’re like me and very task driven, wanting to see the progress bar moving up at every possible inflection of time, this will not be easy at first. The good news is that it does get easier. Start with an earnest 5 minutes and increase from there. If you are seeking to align members of an organization, set up an informal lunch meeting with a trusted colleague and start by exploring the possibilities together. Exploring inward by yourself or with your organization will pay you continual dividends because it provides you a basis for long-lasting fulfillment where you know you’re on a path that is truly worthy of your efforts. After all, when it comes down to it, what else is there?
Photo compliments of Evgeni Dinev
The Power of Vision 