Empower Yourself with a Healthy Competitive Spirit

A lot of people in our industry started in a totally different environment. Though the organizations where we made our start may not have had a handle on the culture, and may not have been the places to grow into the types of leaders we are meant to be, there was a lesson behind it all. There was something of value to take with you. I started in this industry in a call center environment. It was a grind, but I received concentrated training that was invaluable.?

It’s critical for us to understand that every failure is an opportunity, and you can take inventory of who your partners really are, what strengths you have cumulatively, and recognize that things are cyclical and there will be struggles and opportunities and disappointments and wins.

It’s equally essential to be gentle with yourself, and give yourself time. Business isn’t for everybody. It's not easy, though our highly visible and virtually connected atmosphere would tell us otherwise. A lot of people only look at the successes. They are only seeing a certain frame of the bigger picture, and aren't aware of the struggle, dedication, and persistence it takes.?

Lean into Your Success Factors

To achieve what is meant for us, we have to be really consistent and put pressure on ourselves to grow. That pressure can create stress, so it's important to have things in place to help our physical and mental fitness to go up against the pressure every day, while being kind and confident within yourself, surrounding yourself with great people– balancing the time competing with yourself and the time connecting with others.

Self-awareness and perspective are really important. There are events that have occurred which, even in my darkest moments, I learned to tell myself that it is going to pass, I have already learned from previous struggles, and I don’t have to go through that same pain again, and there will be a solution. It's okay to sit in the moment when something is stressful, but we must move forward and do those things that suck to get beyond the struggle to the opportunity.

If we lean on shifting the perspective of our experiences towards a positive mindset, its almost impossible not to have empathy for others, and also want to empower them to grow. How we choose to view our story shapes how we move forward.? I look at the harrowing experiences of my family who came to this country. Being a first-generation American really contributes to the ability to see that it's okay to be vulnerable, it's best to be honest, and it's imperative to be kind and empower others in order to grow.?

Be Your own Toughest Competitor

You can be a competitor without being competitive with others. You are your best competition. Being better than you were yesterday is what leads to the difference between success and stagnation. Learn your weaknesses and address them with practical solutions. For me, a weakness I’ve worked on consistently is being present in the moment and dialed in.? Learning when to unplug is something I'm still working on. I’ve also learned to lean into the other leaders and let them run the show. This solution allows me to be present in whatever I’m doing and strengthens the foundation of everything. I also enables others to grow and do better. By focusing on our own growth. We create a domino effect that positively affects those we are partnering with and leading as well.?