Triumph from Failure
With all the experiences I’ve had in business and life, there is one thing I know for sure.
SUCCESS SELDOM ARRIVES IN A STRAIGHT LINE
You may have seen this image (below) showing the reality of success. It’s a very simple and honest perspective, don’t you think?
Vision, Belief, Action…and the reality
It’s true that however we define success in our lives and businesses, to get there requires vision, belief and action. But the reality is that on the journey, we’ll experience setbacks, pivots, restarts, failures and much more…. and after all those experiences, we may even redefine what success looks like for us.
That’s certainly happened to me on many occasions. I’ve had grand visions for things I’ve wanted to achieve in my life and various businesses, and then as I and my teams work towards achieving those visions, I’ve (or we’ve) encountered enormous hurdles.
Hurdles are a gift
Hurdles test us. They’re put in our way to challenge our vision and belief.
Do we really want the success?
Are we prepared to push through the tough times to get to the other side?
Are we prepared to learn from the journey?
Are we prepared to pivot, to make changes, to change direction to achieve success as we see it?
In the hardest times there are always lessons to be learnt… and in learning them we’re often being given the opportunity for a better tomorrow, even though it can seem bleak in the moment.
Where are you at?
Where are you at in your business right now? Are you charting a course to achieve the success you want in your business?
Is it going to plan? Or is it a bit topsy turvy?
So many people have had really challenging times in 2016 – me included. It happens.
When you come through the tough times, out of the fog comes clarity….
That’s happened to me this year. Bring on 2017 – I can’t wait to tackle it with renewed energy, enthusiasm and excitement in business and life.
If you’d like some guidance to get out of the fog in your business (or life), to get more clarity on direction, purpose, strategy and actions going forward, then how about a short Skype call before the end of the year? I have space for four new clients in my 2017 schedule. If you’d like to talk about how I might support you, then let’s have an initial conversation this month and see where it takes us. Here’s my calendar to make an appointment.
My boxing bout last Friday
Well, I did it. I fought my hardest last Friday night at my white collar charity boxing match. I had a great evening….. and sadly, I didn’t win. I lost my bout.
Some would say it was a mis-match. My opponent has been doing boxing training for 18 months, and me 10 weeks. Bit of a gap in experience…. and she hammered me.
Clearly I came off a little ‘worse for wear’ as you can see from the photos below. Don’t worry, it didn’t (and doesn’t) hurt. It just looks pretty gruesome (without make-up)… the bruises are getting deeper before disappearing. More badges of honour. 🙂
Most importantly, I loved the training…. It’s the journey that we must fondly remember, not necessarily the destination/end result. I am super fit as I discovered on Saturday after hitting a group interval training class at the gym; I’ve met loads of new people; and I’m happy.
On the night, while I was outboxed by a more experienced opponent, I was humbled by the strangers who approached me afterwards and who told me that I was an inspiration, because despite getting beaten up, I didn’t give up.
I might not have shown my boxing talent as I wanted to that night, but I tried to… even when my nose had blood flying everywhere (I’ve spared you that photo)… I kept going at her, trying to find a way to land some punches and do some damage in return.
Whatever happens in life (and business), never give up… keep going… the experience will make sense one day… and we learn the biggest lessons from the journey, even if we didn’t achieve what we wanted.
In a funny old way, I think the loss will serve me better than a win, as I seem to have inspired loads of people. I’m now thinking about how I can incorporate this boxing journey in the business keynote and motivational speeches I’m giving, and podcasts I regularly get interviewed for.
So, onwards to the next physical challenge. More on that one next year. When you hear of my next personal challenge, you will no doubt raise your eyebrows in shock, horror, amusement or delight. The next challenge will be a lot more difficult for me… bring it on!!
Right now, I’m smelling the roses… and basking in the joy that the boxing experience gave me, even though I didn’t achieve my goal of a win.
Success….it often comes in ways we don’t expect. And I love that possibility. I hope you embrace that idea too.
With love
Adèle xx
PS: I am so grateful to everyone who has donated money to the charity I am supporting via the JustGiving link or cheques given to me. I will continue to fundraise for twins Lennon and Layla Coady for a few more days. They’re struggling with their cerebral palsy at present. Any funds I raise will support the enhancement of their quality of life. If you’re able to spare a few $$/££, I’d be very grateful.
