How to become more consistent: Part II
IHOPE and trust that Part I inspired you. This week we are going to continue with Part II of this conversation. I want us to focus on something that is very important in helping us become more consistent, the importance of embracing the seemingly small wins.
#3. Embrace the small wins
Reward yourself for the small victories as it will help you stay on track. “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate” [Oprah Winfrey]. A number of times we wait for people to celebrate our victories, even though those same people may not even be applying their minds to what we are doing.
The greatness journey has its fair share of challenges, but it is equally packed with opportunities for celebration. We all have great goals; some set them daily, others monthly, yearly or even over a longer period of time.
At what point do you celebrate your victories? Some people wait until they have closed that huge sale or they have signed that transaction or possibly when they have won that tender or if you are in my profession when you have handled that high profile case.
It is not every time that we get what we always want, there are times that we need to find joy in the process and take opportunity to celebrate the victories in the process. You need to respect every victory that you make no matter how small it might be.
A number of us get discouraged along the way because we ignore seemingly small victories and wait to celebrate the huge victories. The small victories can ignite and inspire you to the next level.
We all start from somewhere
No one ever woke up at the top. Every great person will tell you this; they never found themselves on top. Nyaradzo Group, the country’s leading funeral services provider, did not start where it is now, the firm might have been unknown back then in 2001 when it started, Econet did not start with the eight million subscribers it has today; it started with one subscriber and grew gradually to where it is now.
Thomas Edison is credited with over 1000 registered patents, and the famous invention of the electric bulb, but he had to start from somewhere.
He even celebrated his failures as opportunities for new discoveries. The cases for corporate and individual successes are plenty. The principle remains the same; we all start from somewhere. Greatness is in beginning!
We start winning the moment we start moving. Start from where you are. Challenges are there and will always be there along the way, but there is room for breakthroughs as well even though they might be small. “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey!” [Barbara Hoffman]. Do not take for granted the victories that you experience. Build on them, and celebrate them!
Every victory counts no matter how small
Discipline yourself to acknowledge and celebrate each achievement no matter how small it might appear to be. It will take you to the next one that you need. Most of the time we feel discouraged when we achieve seemingly small things but we need to learn to build from the small to the big. Never look down upon your humble beginnings.
Harness together all those ` little’ achievements and make them a source of inspiration to you. Old Testament David did not start by slaying a giant; he started by killing animals in the wilderness. His conversation with Saul is of major interest, “David said to Saul, “Let no-one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.”
But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.
Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.” [1Sa. 17:32-37 [NIV] emphasis]. David’s secret was simple; he celebrated every victory that he experienced in the wild defending his flock.
Figure this out: lions and bears in the wilderness defeated by David were followed by a giant Goliath.
The Wright Brothers did not wake up being masters of aviation, they were bicycle repairers. They built their confidence from there and managed to work on the achievement that has brought a great deal of breakthrough in the aviation sector.
You can only improve what you celebrate. Do not allow anyone to discourage you from whatever you want to go for. Draw strength from your curriculum vitae no matter how simple it might be.
A young David who had never been in a direct confrontation with a human enemy made history when he slew a seasoned and notorious fighter – Goliath.
You have the necessary means to achieve your dream, look around, and like David join the pieces together and stand up for what you believe in.
You have every reason to celebrate
You might be into sales and you have secured your first sale; celebrate that or you might be a budding professional speaker and have been invited to speak for free by a reputable organisation; celebrate that. You might be a junior lawyer and have won your first bail case; celebrate it. Look for opportunities for celebration and not just for self-condemnation.
“There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate.” [Robert Brault]. Parents are often excited by the first step of their child, some people actually film the first steps not because that is the best but it is simply a prelude to better things to come.
This is because there is need to build confidence in the child that the next step is possible. See every achievement as an opportunity for improvement.
Acknowledge the achievement and gather momentum for the next step. Why wait for people to tell you that you need to celebrate. No one knows where you are coming from than yourself. Celebration is not the same as complacency; it is simply recognition of the fact that you need to energise yourself in the process of moving, by appreciating your efforts.
Do not forget that the fight is still on, remain alert and focused on the bigger picture. Certain people celebrate as if the battle is over and miss out on the ultimate goal.
The enemy of tomorrow’s achievements is the achievements of today. Always remember when you celebrate that, the best if yet to come.
Celebrate other people’s victories
If you are not ready for the successes of other people, you are not ready for yours. Other people really find it difficult to partake in the celebrations of others. Great people do not feel intimidated by the successes of other people.
They associate with other people’s efforts and realise that they can actually learn something from it. Instead of working to bring other people down, work to bring them up. There is no way that you can bring someone down and remain on top, you have to go down as well, and the opposite is true as well.
Never be afraid of complementing other people when they have done well, acknowledge their achievements in public and make them feel special.
You have nothing to lose by celebrating other people’s victories. Paul appositely put is as follows; “Rejoice with those who rejoice.” [Romans 12:15]. If you are a parent, create time to participate in the activities that you children cherish be it sport, music, and arts. Do not just look for opportunities to complain, look for opportunities to complement. Celebrate them and bring out the best in them in the process.
Always remember that, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” [Maya Angelou]
What is your dream in life?
I do not know what your dream is, but I know that there is something that has been deposited in you. Each and every achievement that comes our way, no matter how small is not accident but a sign that you can certainly achieve your dreams. Interpret well whatever that comes your way; you will see your miracle wrapped in there.
Elijah did not wait until there was a huge cloud in the skies before he advised Ahab that he had to return home. A cloud, small as the human hand was enough to convince him that a huge storm was coming and it came. Do not discourage yourself, rather be at the forefront of encouraging yourself by acknowledging and celebrating every achievement that you attain in life.
Join me on StarFM on Wednesdays (9:40am-10am) for some moments of inspiration on the Breeze with V Candy.
Arthur Marara is a corporate law attorney, keynote speaker, corporate and personal branding speaker commanding the stage with his delightful humour, raw energy, and wealth of life experiences. He is a financial wellness expert and is passionate about addressing the issues of wellness, strategy and personal and professional development.
Arthur is the author of “Toys for Adults” a thought provoking book on entrepreneurship, and “No one is Coming” a book that seeks to equip leaders to take charge.
Send your feedback to greatnessclinic@gmail.com or Visit his website www. arthurmarara. com or contact him on WhatsApp: wa. me// 263780055152 or call +263772467255.