The Simple Secret for Sustained Success

We are defined by the choices that we make.

At any point in our lives, we are on a journey towards our hopes and dreams. We might be moving forwards, sideways or even sometimes backwards, but rarely are we standing still. Our choices dictate the direction and momentum of our journey and our relationships with those who share it with us.

In the developed world, the plethora of paths available to us has lead to an increasingly disposable attitude in both personal and professional spheres. The destructive mantra of “fail fast” has introduced a mentality that ensures churn-and-burn relationships and weaker decision-making. Why wrestle with a difficulty with a client or partner when there are thousands more out there? Why continue along a path when the route to success is shrouded in some uncertainty? Why waste time solving a problem when you can choose to answer another question?

For the weak-willed, it is all too easy to find a reason to change tack. The allure of the “perceived” shortest path is just too strong.

Just give up and change direction.

It is as if we have forgotten what it feels like to challenge ourselves and see something through to a successful conclusion. We build a straw man, then burn it down, build another one and burn it down again. We tell ourselves that we will get it right eventually. Making an effort to mix some concrete, shape the mould and letting it set, simply doesn’t come to mind. What if the concrete man isn’t exactly how we want them to be?

We need to think more about exactly what we set out to achieve at the outset.

This fear of imperfect outcomes might be what drives our short-termism. We live in a fast-paced and disruptive world, and we understand all too well that the best-laid plans today might fail miserably tomorrow. Why bother seeking to sustain a chosen path if a land-mine could be lying in wait a few months later?

Fear is the most insidious of feelings. Yes, it might happen, but events might equally turn out differently. Just because there has been failure doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still give it your best shot. Choosing not to exhaust every avenue cannot be called efficient, it is plain thinking that it is ok to take the easy way out.

We are not used to thinking through our options critically anymore.

Going back to the same drawing board does not equate to giving up. The direction is the same; the goal is the same, we simply have to work out a different method of getting there. If there is a brick wall in the road, there are any number of ways to get to the other side, while broadly remaining on the same path. Psychologically all you can see is the wall, and it seems as if the “other side” doesn’t exist, but you need to get out your sledgehammer, and you will be through in no time. What you shouldn't do is choose another road entirely before giving it your best shot.

When you have hammered through one wall, the next wall will seem far less imposing.

Giving up and changing paths is also an incredibly selfish choice. Our future is inextricably linked with a multitude of people around us, so when we make the decision to give up, those around us are automatically affected. A destructive circle of “I can’t be bothered” begins, and, before you know it, your life is mediocre and utterly fragile. If the people around you can’t count on you to do your best, why should they reciprocate for you?

So much is written about company culture, but, in this case, our environment does play an incredibly important role. When leaders are willing to give their employees the time and space to sustain their path, their people have the confidence to work through issues and take more calculated risks. If leaders are demanding results “right here, right now” then corners invariably get cut and relationships damaged. Resilience can only thrive in a supportive (and sometimes forgiving) environment. If people are afraid of the consequences of failure, they will never explore enough of the available options.

They will simply focus on concocting a watertight series of excuses.

When I talk with my team, I look for a never-say-die attitude. Our people and customers are the reason that we exist, and if we are not seeking to explore any and every avenue to delight them, then we simply aren’t doing our jobs. Yes, something might never have been done before, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t try it. Work out why your approach is not working and adapt to suit the situation. Don’t believe in the word impossible.

A life of regrets and near-misses is not a life worth living. You will be so-close-but-yet-so-far on so many occasions. We are only given one chance at making our mark in this world, so let's give it our absolute maximum effort.

I suppose it all comes down to whether we are satisfied with settling for second best – for ourselves, for our colleagues and for our families and friends. When giving up easily is part of our modus operandi, you can be sure that second best is what will mostly transpire. Do they deserve that? Do you deserve that? Could you somehow persevere just a little more?

Nothing truly meaningful was ever achieved by flip-flopping.