Things to Think About

“There is no elevator to success.  You have to take the stairs.”  Anonymous

What a wonderful reminder that there is no easy way to be successful, especially as professionals.  One measure of success is one’s reputation, or brand, as I like to say.  Think for a moment of someone for whom you feel a great deal of respect, someone whose reputation is beyond question.  Now, think about how they earned that standing in your eyes and the eyes of others.  Chances are it began with what I call incremental acts of competence—the stairs.  Sure, there will be setbacks along the way, but that’s when an incremental act of competence is that you didn’t give up.  You came back and kept going. These incremental acts, or stairs, can also be skill acquisitions, time invested in personal development, or willingness to help others, or the dependability you demonstrate daily in doing good work and delivering on your commitments. Understanding this concept is what makes those “steps” a little easier to climb, when you’re feeling tired, but the outcome is worth it: you deserve to be respected and to have achieved success.  This is a feeling that builds tremendous self-confidence—a feeling that an elevator ride can never give.

Good luck on your journey!