Success is not Linear

From being a mom, to working at home, to trying to grow as an individual, I have a lot I’m working on right now. And let me tell you, it can be hard work.?

On January 3rd, I made a big commitment: to get up every day at 5AM (for a minimum of 66 days) and follow the 20/20/20 formula — 20 minutes of working out, 20 minutes of reflecting/meditating and 20 minutes of growing/learning. The first week especially was extremely challenging because I used to go to sleep between 11:30 and midnight (and my almost 4 year old was up until 11!) So when we finally got the family on a new routine, I had one wonderful night where I was in bed at 9:30. I was really proud…and excited to get more than 7 hours of sleep! Of course, that excitement turned into frustration when my son came into my room at 3:30 and woke me up. Ugh…I felt like I was getting kicked while I was already down.

But you know what? After failing to fall back asleep, I got myself out of bed, and I went on my run at 4AM. That experience felt like an unnecessary obstacle, but I decided to turn it into an opportunity. I didn’t feel good getting up that early, but it was a small low on an increasing trend of becoming the best version of myself.

This week on Growing Your Financial Business…The Woman’s Way, I got reflective on my own path to success, and the ups and downs that define truly successful people. We all have our own unique journeys, but no one has a straight line up.

Upward Trajectory

If you’re a finance professional, I’m sure you’ve dealt with your fair share of unrealistic clients before. People who come in expecting constant positive results, and are shocked when the market doesn’t just keep going up and up and up. Not only is it unrealistic, it’s impossible. And that mindset makes working with them a headache!

So if we know pullbacks and corrections must happen when it comes to the market, why do so many of us expect a continuous uptrend in everything, all the time, in our own lives? That’s impossible, too.

What you should hope for and try to achieve is a general upward trajectory. Not a straight line up, but an increasing wave in the right direction.

And when you do hit those lower points on your trend-line, your challenges and setbacks, try to see them as opportunities. Chances to grow, and show your true character.?

Setbacks to Setups

My husband and I like to say that setbacks are just setups for success. I think that’s very true: we need our difficulties to improve, and become better leaders, and better people. Tune into this episode to hear some inspirational examples, and ways you can channel this into your own struggles.

I’ll also tell you more of my advice for viewing success realistically and productively, and what an upward trajectory means for me. And as always, more fun shenanigans from my family, that make me reflect on my attitude.

How do you channel your setbacks into success? Let me know in the comments!