#VonWongDaily

A thought a day keeps my ideas from fading away.

Posts Tagged ‘Success’

147- Rejection milestones

Today, my friend celebrated his first grant #rejection of 2021.

His celebration was neither ironic nor bittersweet but sincere and genuine. Not because Rejection was his desired outcome, but because he recognizes that Rejection is a milestone towards his long-term career #success . So much so that his goal for 2022 is to be rejected 100 times.

Aspiring to fail forward removes our ego from the #decision -making process. It gives us permission to participate in projects we believe we’re not worthy of while also increasing the potential for serendipity and opportunity.

Imagine how much more we could do with our lives if every Rejection were an opportunity for celebration, every failed attempt a badge of honor to show off to our friends, every piece of criticism a testimonial towards our #potential for progress.

It is more effective for us to seek a hundred failures than limit ourselves to a few guaranteed successes.

137- Belief in the possible

When I look back at any accomplishment in my life, it always began with the #belief that success was possible. And while the probability of #success wasn’t always high, deep down, there was always a firm belief that it was possible.

The belief that something is possible may not guarantee success, but it is fundamental to progress. Without it, we would not be capable of generating resilience, faith, or hope.

When we feel stuck, it is because we’ve lost the ability to see what’s possible and find ourselves focusing too much on what should be instead of what could be.

A helpful framework to reignite our imagination and rediscover that sense of what’s #possible is to ask ourselves:

Who could I be if I didn’t have to [do X]? [be Y]? [follow Z]?

Once we plant that seed of possibility, all we need is to remember to water it regularly and see where it takes us.

ht: Workshop with Jason Brown at Experience House

92- Long Term Success

For the last couple of decades, the world has been getting smaller. Every year, it’s taken less time, money, and effort than the previous one to get from A to B. Then, the pandemic kicks in – and suddenly, I feel like I’m back in the dark ages.

To fly to Morrocco from the US, it took me two different COVID tests, three connections, and four flights – double the time, energy, and effort it would have taken just a couple of years ago.

Looking at the numbers, we can probably all agree that the world has gotten bigger again. That travel has become less accessible. But while it might feel like we’re going backward – the opposite is true. As the environment changes, so should our expectations.

Long-term #success is more than just improving numbers on a page. Sometimes, it requires taking a few steps back, so we can continue to do what we love.

81- Game of life

Nobody wants to play a game they know they’ll win 100% of the time. Guaranteed #success is not fun.

We want to play games that we have a fair chance at winning. And a good game is not defined by who wins or loses, but rather how enjoyable the challenge was.

Life is similar. All it requires is to shift our focus from the outcome of winning to the joy of playing.

Since we’re competing against no one but ourselves – the key is to play at the edge of our competence. To find that zone where we can confidently pursue our potential and find learning opportunities in failure.

Life is a game, we just need to remember to have fun.

#joy #play