What is the biggest, most triumphant success in your business so far?
Think about it. But before you answer… let me tell you about my ex-husband, John.
He makes furniture. Gorgeous furniture with simple lines that accentuate the beauty and richness of the wood. Woodworking isn’t his profession. It’s his passion. His yoga. It’s what he does to get back in touch with his soul.
He used to tell me, “What I really love about making furniture is all the fine detail work no one ever sees.” Like the sophisticated tongue-and-groove joinery. The polished finish on the underside of the table. The time-consuming techniques and artistic choices that add to the integrity, structure and longevity of a piece yet aren’t necessarily visible to the naked eye.
Most people who admire John’s furniture never notice these details. But John knows they’re there. And while he loves it when people oooo and ahhh over his pieces, that’s not what motivates his craftsmanship.
What gives him pleasure, satisfaction and a sense of success is simply the fact he created the piece he envisioned, to the best of his abilities, by incorporating intricacies and artistry that added tremendous value no one may ever recognize or appreciate.
I believe your greatest successes, your most triumphant moments, and perhaps even your most sacred turning points, are the ones no one ever sees or notices.
Including you.
These successes whoosh by without applause, yelps of joy or the loud pop of cork exploding from a bottle of champagne. Because often you mistake these important wins as failures. Or as inconsequential moments in the day of the life of an entrepreneur.
For instance…
- That moment after you gave your first free webinar and only 3 people showed up out of the 12 people who signed up. And no one invested in the offer you pitched at the end. You sat there, your head in your hands, unsure whether to think, “What a flop!” or “Damn! I did it!”
- That moment on Saturday morning when you sat with your laptop, staring at a blank Word document, knowing you had to write copy for your new sales page. You were tense. Anxious. Because you didn’t know where to start or what to say. But you started writing anyway.
- That day when talked to 3 different prospective client and every single one of them found a reason to say “No” and not work with you. Yet when you got on the phone with your 4th prospective client, you made your offer again.
These moments, when you decide to do something and then you do it, even if it means stepping way outside of your comfort zone, risking failure, facing down your fears and your resistance and your long list of “what ifs” in order to move one tiny millimeter closer to your goal or vision… these are your most significant successes.
Your biggest, boldest triumphs.
Because in those moments, you muster up the courage to do what most people won’t do. Decide, commit and friggin’ do what you set out to do. Even though it’s hard, uncomfortable and scary. Even if it makes you cringe, cry or feel like a big, fat loser. Even though there’s no immediate prize, reward or chorus of angels at the end.
I belong to a number of online groups full of smart, highly motivated, determined and somewhat sassy women entrepreneurs. And not a day goes by without one or more of these gutsy women sharing some kind of monumental success they experienced in their business.
Like…
“My article just got published in the Huffington Post.”
“I just had my first 5-figure month!”
“Wow! I got 3 new perfect clients this week!”
“My new book just got a review in the New York Times!”
These announcements, which are usually posted in a Facebook Group, are always followed by a long list of congratulatory comments from the other women in the group. “Woohoo! You did it!” “You’re amazing!” “You’re a superstar!” “You go, girl! That’s fantastic.”
It’s like a small online celebration. And it’s a wonderful thing.
But maybe we’re celebrating the wrong successes.
Or rather, we’re ignoring the ones that really matter.
Those tiny yet truly triumphant moments no one ever sees and you never share. Those moments when you’re alone, and you decide to take a risk, do something you’ve never done, confront a belief or fear that’s been holding you back, make that phone call, write that revealing blog post, pitch your offer… and bust a move towards what you really want with faith and the courage to keep going.
No matter what.
No one may give you a big pat on the back or cheer “Woohoo! You rock!” for these moments. No one will stand up on his or her chair and applaud. No one will give you a purple heart or a shiny statue. Or even offer you a glass of champagne.
But you should. Right now. Right now, you should stand on your chair and shout, “Woohoooo! I did it! I’m amazing! I’m a winner. I am triumphant!”
Go on! Do it! And I’ll join you. Right now. I’ll stand on my chair and cheer you on! “Wooohooooo! You’re amazing! You’re a champ! You’re an inspiration! Congratulations! Keep going!”
No, you didn’t have a 5-figure month. No, you didn’t grow your email list to 10,000 subscribers. No, you didn’t get 3 new clients this week.
But damn. Look at you.
You’ve had a long streak of quiet victories, where you faced your fears, doubts and internal nonsense in order to move a bit closer to having the business you want and being the entrepreneur you want to be.
Congratulations. Let’s open some champagne.