In a recent blog, 2 Lessons for Lasting Growth, I shared two things I’ve found to be true. One was that no matter how much success you’ve had in your life and career, you haven’t “made it.” You always have to keep evolving and growing. Success is rented, not owned, and rent is due every day. I really like that idea.
Another point I made was that failure is not fatal. No matter where you are, you can start from there and move forward. So how do you do that? That’s a question that comes up a lot around this topic. It’s easy to say, “Just keep moving forward,” but it can feel tough when you’re struggling.
One key thing is to keep moving. That’s always been my mantra. My mom taught me that from a young age—no matter what challenges you’re facing, you have to keep going. One way to do that is to focus on making daily progress in some area of your life.
It could be personal or professional—whatever you’re struggling with. Ask yourself:
- What does success look like?
- What does progress look like?
- What small step can I take today?
Sometimes, we get overwhelmed by the big picture. Success can feel so far away. I’ve been there—both in my personal and professional life—more than once, and I’ve felt overwhelmed.
One piece of advice that helped me was trying to make progress daily. Decide what progress looks like and take small steps forward. A great book on this is The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. It talks about how small steps, taken consistently, build up over time and lead to success.
And here’s the secret: When you look back on your life and career, you’ll realize the journey is where the real fun is. We all love success, but the journey to get there is where the best stories are, and where real learning happens.
