Never Stay Satisfied with Current Accomplishments
Rick Warren says, “The greatest enemy of tomorrow’s success is today’s success.” And he is right. Thinking that you have “arrived” when you accomplish a goal has the same effect as believing you know it all. It takes away your desire to learn. It’s another characteristic of destination disease.But successful people don’t sit back and rest on their laurels. They know that wins - like losses - are temporary, and they have to keep growing if they want to continue being successful. Charles Handy remarked, “It is one of the paradoxes of success that the things and ways which got you there are seldom those things that keep you there.”
No matter how successful you are today, don’t get complacent. Stay hungry. Sydney Harris insisted that “a winner knows how much he still has to learn, even when he is considered an expert by others; a loser wants to be considered an expert by others before he has learned enough to know how little he knows.” Don’t settle into a comfort zone, and don’t let success go to your head. Enjoy your success briefly, and then move on to greater growth.
Start Growing Today
Napoleon Hill said, “It’s not what you are going to do, but it’s what you are doing now that counts.”Many unsuccessful people have what I call “someday sickness” because they could do some things to bring value to their lives right now. But they put them off and say they’ll do them someday. Their motto is “one of these days.” But as the old English proverb says, “One of these days means none of these days.” The best way to ensure success is to start growing today. No matter where you may be starting from, don’t be discouraged; everyone who got where he is started where he was.
Why do you need to determine to start growing today? There are several reasons:
• Growth is not automatic. Just because you grow older doesn’t mean you keep growing. That’s how it is with some creatures, such as crustaceans. As a crab or a lobster ages, it grows and has to shed its shell. But that’s not the trend for people. The road to the next level is uphill, and it takes effort to keep growing. The sooner you start, the closer to reaching your potential you’ll be.
• Growth is your responsibility. When you were a small child, your parents were responsible for you even for your growth and education. But as an adult, you bear that responsibility entirely. If you don’t make growth your responsibility, it will never happen.
There is no time like right now to get started. Recognize the importance that personal growth plays in success, and commit yourself to developing your potential today.
