The Overnight Success ....

Most people love the idea of the Overnight Success - but more commonly than not, things just don’t unfold that way. it is easy for us to be stuck in ‘Spoilt Kid Mode’ - and when I think of this, the image of that precocious little girl in the movie Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, comes to mind - I WANT IT NOW!!! Big gains - sudden successes - instant mastery are all wonderful possibilities - the problem though, is this - we often discount the value and weight of small (sometimes almost unnoticed) successes … and it is these successes that ultimately make the real difference - over time. 

On the mat, we might not hit that choke, armlock or sweep we’ve been trying to work on - but we might, for example, get to first base and secure the grips we need to make it happen; this, in and of itself, is a victory. We should acknowledge these ‘small victories’ because they lead to larger victories in the long run. I remember when I sold my first book - I loved the idea that I made $8 profit while I slept … nothing to write home about, maybe … but over time, it all added up. Five thousand books later - there was a deposit for a rental property - and then time did it’s thing … small start, big outcome. 

When I began fly-fishing - I started in the tiny Otway streams near where I live and was happy if I caught a single 6 inch trout. But thousands of casts down the track, practising in those tiny streams, gave me the skill I needed to land double figure fish since.

So if you’re looking to lose a little weight or get a little stronger or fitter, you don’t need to look for big outcomes. Small gains … lead to big outcomes. Congratulate yourself as you make them. JBW