Tag Archives: success

The Yearly Review

I’ve talked previously about the power of the weekly review, looking back at your week and seeing how it was. Today I did my yearly review, looking back on my goals for the year and grading myself on how I went. I would also reflect on the goals and justify to myself the grade I got. This was a really enjoyable experience. I blocked out 2 hours in my afternoon and just reflected on my year.

I realised that I actually have had a great year, I have grown so much as a person, which is one of my biggest indicators of success. I also realised what the gaps in my focus have been.

The reason I think that everyone should be doing this or something similar is that it allows you to realise what you have achieved or haven’t achieved. This can be lost in the moment when you’re only reflecting day to day or even week to week. I believe that examining your life is crucial to being successful and growing as a person.

It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you

I was having a discussion with my boss who is a bit of a mentor for me and I was saying how it was so important that I do different research projects so I could get exposed to different areas and different people. This diversity was in the hope of improving my likelihood of finding something I’m interested in, but also getting to know more people, which I thought would help me succeed in the future. We discussed this for a bit and she said how it was important that I didn’t spread myself too thin, doing sub-par work. This is a fair point and almost simultaneously we both said “It’s not about who you know, its about who knows you” and this was a gem of a quote because it’s so true. If you want to succeed in whatever it is you’re doing, it doesn’t matter how many connections on LinkedIn you have, it’s about who talks about you to their colleagues. I believe the more people who talk about you or your work, and think highly of it, will lead to more opportunities in the future. Finally, as a note to myself, you’re always better off doing high quality work and then success will follow, rather than try to be exposed to more and more people

Seek Setbacks

I recently read Richard Koch’s Unreasonable Success: and how to achieve it which was an okay read, a little preachy at times but there were a few key ideas I took away, one of them being to seek out setbacks.

A setback is often our worst fear in life. It is usually a reason we don’t try new things, put our hand up in class or go out on a limb. Koch argues that setbacks are crucial to being successful, as long as you learn from our mistakes. Picture this, we’re working incredibly hard on a project for a year, convinced it’s going to be a great success, but when it comes to presentation day, it’s a flop. Most see this as the end of the world, becoming embarrassed and upset. This might just be the best scenario possible.

A common proposition is that we shouldn’t view setbacks as the end, rather a redirection. Setbacks give us an idea of what doesn’t work, it may be that our great idea really wasn’t that great and we should pivot on a new path, which may eventually lead to our truly great idea.

Another reason Koch argues setbacks can make us great is that they can validate unconventional views. “If you follow the heard, you are unremarkable. If you are controversial, you are noticed.” This was a great line and validates why setbacks are crucial. If we don’t stick out foot out and take a risk, we will never fail. Similarly, if we dont stick our foot out, we will never be great.

Furthermore, the simple act of repeated setbacks builds resilience, it makes us more likely to take bigger risks in the future. With bigger risks come bigger rewards, and eventually, with enough persistence, you will break through.

It may be controversial but I don’t see constant success as a good thing. I feel as though if we continue from strength to strength we aren’t taking enough risks, therefore, may not be reaching our potential. I have repeatedly said on here that I don’t take enough risks, I know this because I haven’t had many failures, and I want them.

“When was the last time you took a risk”

I haven’t taken a proper risk in a long time. The last proper risk I took was going travelling by myself for 3 months back in 2016/17 straight out of high school (and subsequently grew a ‘beard,’ which was probably a bigger risk). 

I’ve always seen myself as a risk taker, but in the last few years I haven’t taken any risks, and I want to. I’m at a point in my life where I could do anything and have no real adverse consequences. I know that, but when I think why I haven’t taken any, it has been out of fear. Fear of failure, fear of judgement. The logical side of my brain thinks “ah but I don’t care about either of them, what is there to worry about,” but when it comes to action, the emotional side takes over, resulting in inaction. 

I had the idea to make a podcast about a year ago and I didn’t go off and start my own podcast like I should have, I started under the safety net of the shop I work at. The saga there is a whole other story but long story short it got caught up in the politics of the business and has stopped. I had the idea, I did all the work to get it up and running but the podcast was never mine like I wanted it to be.  This was all because I didn’t have the guts to do it myself, put my own neck out there and take the risk. 

Risk taking is something most people did in their childhood, whether that be jump off a rock, skateboarding down a hill or making a lemonade stand (for lack of a less cliche analogy). Back then not many people would have thought twice, I certainly didn’t. Those risks which may have turned out well or have failed we’re all valuable, and probably really enjoyable. The reason, in my mind at least, that as you ‘grow up,’ entering your late teens and 20’s, you become more risk averse is because you have a more highly developed social brain. I’m not speaking from any evidence here but throughout high school and university you begin to learn what is and isn’t socially acceptable and praised, and for most people finishing high school ~5 years ago I’m not sure that starting your own business, or putting yourself out there on social media was seen as cool, or desirable. That is definitely changing now, but the barriers have been formed and these sit in your mind when trying to do your own thing out in the public sphere.

This has been a bit of a rambling post but I hope you’re able to learn from my mistakes; think “what’s the worst that can happen,” and if that is not too bad, then stick your neck out and go and do it yourself, take the risk, and if you’re committed to it, it’ll generally end up working. I’m taking this as a call to action and I’m going to go out of my way to take a few more risks for the rest of the year and see where it leads me. I encourage you to do the same.