Watching the Olympics the last couple of weeks has had us all experiencing–if vicariously–the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Will you ever forget Usain Bolt’s gold medal sprint? Or Oscar Pistorius’ finish in the Semifinal of the 400 meters? You have to admit that was thrilling! The Semifinal!
We read a lot about the need to fail and what to learn from failure, but what can we learn from success?
Think about what you did right–It’s easy to obsess about mistakes and imperfections, but there is a lot of value in making sure you know what you did well and what you would do again. Reinforce the correct choices you made so you will remember to repeat them.
Don’t put it all down to luck–A little luck is a great thing, but very few real wins come just from being lucky. Most success comes from preparation and hard work. You did that preparation and you did the work necessary to create your success. Enjoy that feeling and give yourself the credit for what you accomplished.
Be positive–The day after a big win, you could start worrying about your next chance to fail. Better than worry is making a proactive choice to move forward confidently, knowing that you are able to succeed. Don’t throw away the confidence you gained from your victory!
We all need to make mistakes–and we do–but not all the time. Sometimes we win the Gold, sometimes a victory is just being there in the stadium to hear the Spice Girls, but don’t let your wins get away from you. Embrace your success and understand it.
Wendy Stackhouse, Consultant for Artisan Creative