Success Thought of The Day

Great journeys start with tons of energy and excitement—the vision, the expected outcomes.

However, great triumphs happen when we overcome adversity, fatigue, and self-doubt.

“Are you working in the system or on the system?” That was one of the best questions a team member asked me several years ago.

As a leader, it is easy to get our hands into everything, as we want to help others be successful, drive results and pursue the organization’s purpose. However, there is a difference between the individual, in the moment efforts, and operating systems.

I liken it to a glass of water spilling on a table; if it happens once or twice, it is acceptable to grab a towel and clear it up. However, if this will be a repeated act, you need to address the real need, fix the spill’s cause, or install a “system” of trenches to catch and dispose of the water.

Give some thought to the systems you have stewardship responsibility for and make them better.

The moment you have that realization for yourself, life changes. Driving to be the best version of yourself, in and of itself, is a fantastic journey.

If only opportunities would walk up to us and introduce themselves with a warm greeting!

In the simplest form, businesses are born by solving a problem that people have. If you can observe the problem and have the talent to solve it by developing a product or service, that could be an opportunity.

Be observant of your spaces, starting with your problems. As an example, Pastor Grannum once said, “If you’re single and want to be married, start looking around here at church. When I’m praying, and all eyes are closed, open yours and take a look around!” 🙂

Many times, we attribute the lack of success to not having worked hard enough. However, often the root cause is a lack of focus on what we are purposed to do.

Declutter and remove the extra. Clothes from your closet you don’t wear but touch them each time you go to get dressed (donate them), Apps on your phone that you don’t use (delete them), items on your to-do list that you lightly touch but never complete (archive them).

Choose the practices that make sense to you, clearing a path to what’s essential.