“I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.”
(Thomas Jefferson)
What does success look like? How would you define success? How did you gain success in your life?
These were a few questions a branch on my tree asked me a few weeks back. To be fair, I asked several branches on my tree for topics they have interest in to see if I can develop into a blog article that would benefit them in their Walk into The Future.
It took be awhile to wrap my mind around the concept of success—I view myself as enjoying my Walk into the Future, but success must be on display in some format for me to be able to control this walk. So, I thought back to some advice I received as a young Air Force instructor that was gifted to me:
‘Be where you’re supposed to be;
Doing what you’re supposed to be doing;
When you’re supposed to be doing it.’ (U.S. Air Force Mentor, 1997)
Thinking about the topic of success allowed me to reflect on this advice and it follows me into every activity I pursue.
This advice on face valuable is simple. But reflecting on the concept of success allowed me to see how the advice I received years ago has allowed me to find successful outcomes in most endeavors I tackle. I’ve used this advice over the years but now realize it has been the foundation of my daily interactions—every day and every project!
This foundation has allowed me to form outstanding working relationships with direct reports and peers because I’m always focused on “where, what, when”. This provides my interactions with a level of consistency to ensure successful outcomes. Some may say they give 110% percent effort when facing a task or challenge. I’ve never attributed the phase ‘110% effort’ to myself when taking on a task. I view each task or challenge with a focus to get things done with maximum effort within a minimum amount of time. The advice I was gifted years ago provided me with a formula to get things down with an eye towards the integrity of the process.
I talk with students I work with on how they can become visible and viable when seeking employment. The concept of “where, what, when” is used in my conversations to give them a simple formula to work with when engaging with recruiters in their search for employment. This concept is relatable for students and provides them with guidance towards a successful outcome when engaged in the recruitment process.
So, to come back to the questions I was asked on success:
What does success look like? How would you define success? How did you gain success in your life?
Success varies from person to person. My view on success is having the ability to navigate a situation or task where the outcome exceeds the level of expectations. Success is defined as having the mental capacity to adapt, think and build on past experiences to navigate the situation or task.
I gained success by using the “where, what, when” concept daily in all interactions.
- Examples: supervision, mentoring, speaking engagements, volunteering.
In each of these examples, being where I’m supposed to be, doing what I’m supposed to be doing, when I’m supposed to be doing it has led to successful outcomes.
My last view on ‘my’ success is tied to the people (branches) I work with. I feel successful when I watch and hear how well others are doing in their professional and personal lives. My success is a direct reflection of their success—the more successful they are the more successful I will become. Kind of a large circle of success!
So, what does success look like for you the reader? Curious for your thoughts—thanks!
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it”.
(Maya Angelou)
Walk Into the Future 