Does someone else’s success make you feel defeated before you start?
You may look at where they are and feel like you can never get there so you might as well go do something else.
Stop it!
What defines success for you? Do you have to achieve “multiple six figures” to be successful in your home business?
When you first started dreaming of owning an online business, what did success look like in your dreams then?
Were you hoping to add a little “wiggle room” to the family budget?
Trying to earn enough to begin a debt-free lifestyle?
Maybe you just want to earn enough to take your family on a nice vacation each year.
It’s your dream. It got you motivated, excited, and willing to try something new.
And then you started listening to the people “at the top”. They are making multiple six figures. They are rubbing shoulders with some “very important people”. Someone just made $35.000.00 “with the click of a button” and someone else is posting on facebook that they just added 6 new clients and proclaims “I love what I do!”.
Suddenly your dream changes. You want to be just like her. And you’re mad at yourself because you’re nothing like her. You only have one client! (And it’s your mother!) Instead of starting small and learning as you go, you are suddenly burdened with the stress of trying to become an overnight sensation.
I believe that when you look to someone else and define your dreams based on their success (or perceived success) you will sacrifice the “you” in your business and never quite get to that place where you love what you do. Instead of chasing the dream you had in the beginning, you are now chasing someone else’s dream– or worse– money and status.
Do I have a problem with those who talk about how many figures they earn each year? It depends on how they do it. Sometimes it helps to know that “it can be done”. Other times it just serves to puff up that person and devalue the smaller dream that you were chasing.
Am I asking you to keep your dreams within a safe, reachable limit? Not at all. It’s good to stretch and grow. I’m just asking you to value your own dream. If you want to make $100.00 per month, then you are a success when you do that.
I just want you to keep your focus. Do the next thing. Look to those with more experience as mentors, learn from them. But don’t let their huge success make your dreams look too small.
Carrie Wilkerson talks about choosing a project and getting it to “ridiculous cash” before moving on. But she clarifies, and gives respect to everyone’s dream by saying “ridiculous cash means something different to everyone.”
Your success is never based on how it compares to someone else’s success. Your success has everything to do with what your personal goals are and nothing to do with someone else’s goals. Work hard, learn from the best, and allow yourself to enjoy the journey. That will get you where you want to go, one step at a time.
I want to keep growing as a godly woman. I want to write about what I learn. I hope to be a blessing to all who take the time to read what I write. And I’d really like to take my kids to Disney World!
What are your dreams?
Image courtesy of iconmac / FreeDigitalPhotos.net