Success = Doing Whatever It Takes
A professional services person we know was having a difficult time making his living in 2009. Track record, network, and excellent skills were insufficient to mitigate the effects of our economic recession. Our hero had spent decades making it happen, but now he couldn’t break through.
He’d spent many moments along his 20 year journey pondering a chicken and egg type question: When I need to find more work should I focus on more marketing efforts (the outside job) or should I focus on my mental or spiritual disposition (the inside job)?
The recession exacerbated this fellow’s dilemma beyond belief. No amount of marketing effort or prayer was seemingly working in any substantial way – for the better part of 2009. Ultimately, our hero had no choice but to accept the current reality and look deep inside for what was being asked of him. It was, indeed, a spiritual inquiry and he arrived at four answers:
1. He was being asked to give back a fair amount of his time to those in need who could benefit from his services but could not pay for them.
2. He was being asked to be more conscious with his spiritual practices, as opposed to going through the motions to get back to work as soon as possible.
3. He was being asked to take his next big step in his spiritual journey to experience more of what his tradition had to offer.
4. Finally, he was being asked to put forward his value proposition with a deep trust that the right client work would come his way at the right time.
It took months to come to these realizations and even longer to actualize them. But it finally resulted in the breakthrough he was looking for. New business from both old and new clients began to fill up his 2010 calendar. It felt great.
The game of success is a paradox in that it can feel like it is totally beyond our control, and at the same time, requires that we do whatever it takes. Both are true. Our fellow finally resolved his chicken and egg riddle when he realized a mathematical “truth” you can reflect on: success is always 50% effort and 100% divine intervention. You are likely wrestling with a riddle of your own. Everyone has at least one “irresolvable dilemma” – if they are willing to admit it. Our message is simple. You merely need to do whatever it takes in a context of not having control. First find peace with what is; then set your intentions high. Listen to your heart for what’s being asked of you. Do the necessary work; and trust that if you follow your heart, you will be cared for. Ultimately, your success will happen!
By Paul Werder, CEO, LionHeart Consulting Inc.
LionHeart Consulting offers customized support to improve performance without compromising what really matters. They have published a Self Study Guide, called Mastering Effectiveness that contains practical tools that will transform your experience of work. For additional details or to purchase, click here.
