Success - Our results? or our mindset?

How do most people measure success? This question kept coming up for me after another live event I attended recently. How many entrepreneurial, success events have you been to that had speakers who were primarily on stage because of their huge financial success in business?

Success is often seen as an external achievement, something that can be measured by the accumulation of wealth, recognition, or accomplishments. These things are all great, but on their own these are not truly a sign of success. Success is what it took to achieve them, who it took to achieve them. True success is more than just a collection of material possessions or accolades. Success is a state of mind that fuels the passion and drive to produce results in life. Some people don't aim for financial wealth, or recognition....does this mean they are not successful?

When you view success as a state of mind, you understand that it is not a fixed destination, but rather a journey of personal growth and development. Success is the result of a positive and focused mindset, which in turn creates the motivation and energy needed to achieve your goals, what ever those goals may be. It also provides us the resilience to go through life challenges and keep going.

Passion and drive are essential components of success, as they provide the motivation and commitment needed to overcome obstacles and setbacks. When you are passionate about what you do, you are more likely to persevere through difficult times, and your enthusiasm and dedication will be contagious to others.

Don't get me wrong, financial success is great, and I have been blessed to do very well in my career. My secret though is that I have always seen my financial successes as a result, my peer recognition as a result and my accomplishments as a result of my true success, my consistent personal development as a high performer. For me this has meant being the best husband I can be, the best father I can be, and most importantly the ability to maintain these strengths in times of challenge and adversity.

No amount of money, recognition or accomplishments alone can strengthen you when your world is turned upside down, and unexpected challenges hit you. Everything outside of you can be taken away, lost or depleted. If it comes down to this in your life, the only thing you have is yourself. Your mind, your body and your spirit.

The truth is, you will only truly know what you're made of, how resilient you are and how capable of bouncing back and maintaining your highest self when there is nothing else.

In January 2020, speaking on stage at our life event in San Diego I talked about this. I told the story of the climber Alex Honnold when he free climbed Yosemite. During his practise climbs where he was mapping out his route, and using ropes he came up against a seemingly impassable section. About a 1000ft up a verticle cliff face, Alex found himself at a gap that could only be passed by jumping from a single foot hold to another small single foot hold. During his practise climbs where he was roped up, he failed to make the jump each time falling and swinging from his rope. After many practise climbs he made the decision that it was time to attempt the free climb before he got too tired. A free climb is a climb without any ropes, no safety net, do or die. During this final attempt, free from ropes and safety, Alex got to the section that he had failed previously to jump. Looking on was his best friend and camera man, Jimmy Chin. Alex knew that if he didn't make this jump, it would be his life. With around a 1000ft drop, it truly was do or die. Why am I telling you this story? Because in life most of us who are ambitious at one time or another find ourselves in a situation that seems to be risky. A situation that, if we fail could mean ruin in one way or another. I am hoping though that very few of you have been in one of these situations that would actually mean instant death. Alex was clinging to the side of that vertical rock face, focused on the point ahead of him that he must jump to and grab hold of in order to continue his journey up the rock face. Eyes focused, body poised, he jumped......

....and seamlessly landed on a single foot on the other-side of the gap he just crossed.

So why did he make it? And why, in life do so many ambitious visionaries similarly achieve what seem to be unachievable things? Well Alex had been training his whole life for moments like this, but it was only when he was in the situation where he HAD TO perform, that he found out what he was really made of.

It is the same with all of us. You will only truly know what you are capable of when you have everything on the line. How much personal development you have truly integrated mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

So what does success really mean? Success is a way of life. Being ready, so you never need to get ready. Sometimes those opportunities come around that you know in your heart is the required move to make in order to scale. The question is, are you ready?

You may have never been half way up a rock wall facing death from one decision. However, every life-style threat, financial threat, relationship threat that you face can be overcome by your ability to bounce-back quickly, to maintain your quality decision making, and highest character. Every time I have come up against these challenges, I am not sure if I'll make it through. Then the result of all the work I have done and continue to do within myself, my mind, my body and my spirit shows up.

I have never measured my success by the car I drive, or the class of my airline ticket. All that stuff can change or be taken away in an instant. But there is one thing that nobody can take away. One thing that you can't buy, or fake. That is the mindset you've developed, crafted that enables you to conquer any challenge, respond with integrity and courage. Your ability to perform at your best no matter what is what makes external result possible.

The most important thing to me is to be the best husband, father, son and friend I can be where ever I am on this rollercoaster life.

I chose to ride the rollercoaster in life, not the merry go round, so I make sure I am ready to thrive through the downs as well as the ups.

Your future depends upon what you rely on to thrive. There is only one thing you truly control, and have ownership of, and that is you.

Be ready, so you don't have to get ready.

Your Coach

James