Do you fear rejection or do you fear success? That’s
a question most people don’t think about enough. Oftentimes, we don’t ask for
what we want for fear of rejection. At least that’s how it appears on the
surface. But if you look deeper, chances are the underlying issue could be fear
of success. But why, why would someone fear success? Isn’t achieving success
our ultimate goal in life? We are
programmed to work and be successful in relationships, hobbies, personal
interests, keeping a clean house, staying organized, academics, business, etc.
no matter the size of the coveted success. Success is that ultimate
accomplishment in life that calls for celebration. I could go on and on about how we are taught
from an early age the value of being successful but you get the point. Bottom
line: sometimes we just aren’t ready for success of great proportions. This can
be because of any number of reasons but I think that one of the main reasons is
because of lack of understanding on how to handle success because there may be
no real plan in place to move you and your business forward to carry success to
the next level. That ponders the question: How much success is enough? Do you
settle for a certain amount of success, or do you continue to strive for more?
I believe that striving for success and accomplishing success is a constant
evolving element in life, but ultimately, it depends on the person’s goals.
Assuming he or she has definitive goals and knows which direction they are
heading in, personally and professionally. Setting goals and making plans does
not ensure success and success is not totally dependent on planning and goals.
Moving success forward to something even bigger requires planning and goals.
Think about when you NEED to get something done and
the task requires asking for help or input from others. Chances are you don’t give the fear of rejection a second
thought when asking for what you need because you are so focused on getting
done what needs to be done that you do whatever it takes to get it DONE. This
mentality makes me consider the differences between wants and needs. When we
need something, we get it. When we want something, eh, we may not pursue it
with such determination, especially if it’s not an easily attainable want. So,
is the fear of rejection based on wants? I would like to think that there is an
element of fear attached to rejection when pursuing a want versus pursuing a
need. When we are focused on needs, we focus on success and accomplishment, not
rejection. You’re never going to get what you need on your own if you don’t
make the pursuit a priority to succeed in getting what you need. So, if you want success is it harder to get
what you need to accomplish your goals? Just know that if you need success you
are more likely to accomplish what you want in order to get what you need. Side
note: if you don’t have a plan in place with set objectives to carry goals and success
forward forget about celebrating anything long-term. Short-term, quick shot
success will be about as far as you’ll get. Move on to a need and away from the
want. Do we need success to validate ourselves? Not really. Success is in the
eye of the beholder and one should not focus on what others’ consider to be
success, but rather focus on moving forward in life, making a difference, and finding
satisfaction in what he or she has achieved.
A.D.D.
Moment: This takes me to another psychological approach
that many businesses use when working to accomplish sales goals, quotas, etc.
(needs). There are some business motivators out there who will coach you to ‘go
for the no’s’. Well, that’s great on the surface but if you look deeper that
mentality can lead to settling for mediocrity or failure. You see, the problem
with going for no’s and making it your main focus (especially in prospecting)
is that we get satisfied with making a ton of calls and receiving a subsequent
amount of no’s. I don’t know about you but isn’t it more important to NOT take
the no’s personally and strive for the yes’s? Mediocrity is not something one
should settle for in life, but maybe that’s just me. The mental strength to not
take the no’s personally far outweighs striving to achieve the no’s when
considering success in business, whether in prospecting, sales, or seeking help
from others. You can tell me NO all you
want. I’m not responsible for your decisions. I’m responsible for a plan to
move forward. I’m responsible for my own
success and failure, not yours. Considering this approach, I don’t fear rejection.
I will only fear success if I don’t have a plan or goals with set objectives in
place. How do plan on handling rejection and success? To be continued in
evolutionary proportions…
~Cat~
