What Success Is Holding You Back From Experiencing Great?

Have you ever had one of those moments of a dramatic perspective shift? I can think of a few of my own. Some shifts happen when we see new information: previous thinking becomes obsolete as we intake fresh data or consider someone else’s perspective. Some shifts happen when we measure ourselves by one standard, but then open our eyes to see our measuring stick is all wrong. The latter is why I’m typing this today. 

Those shifts are important shifts that lead to seasons of accelerated growth. But it doesn’t have to end with a short burst of inspiration, there’s a way to stay in a constant state of growth too. There is a way that you can nurture those seasons of growth to get where you want to be faster. 

Recently I had a pretty big moment of clarity. I had stopped long enough to think and consider a few things, and I began to see something that was likely pretty glaring from the outside. My good was holding me back from my great. This concept isn’t new. Jim Collins, in his famous book Good to Great talks about the concept of good holding companies and organizations back from great. The truth that so many times our success in the past is holding us back from something truly special in the future.

What’s an area that you’re feeling good about? Maybe it’s a skill you have, or something that many admire and compliment about you. Is it possible that good is holding you back from being great in that area? It’s pretty tough to have that self awareness. I know I can rarely accurately see myself. It feels good to know we're good right?! What got us to where we are today is being good. From a position of strength it’s very difficult to say to yourself, “While this strategy or tactic got me here, I need to cease that action or enter into a phase of reconstruction."  

There’s another enemy that lurks in the shadows too: our peers, those around us. It feels really good to be the smartest kid in the classroom, but sometimes for us to grow into our greatness we need to put ourselves in a classroom where we’re the newbie. Surround ourselves with people who are so much better than us that it makes us uncomfortable. 

I challenge you. Be willing to reconstruct what you know. Be willing to reconstruct what you think is good. It might just be the action that leads to something really great.