In one of his lectures, the great Jim Rohn offered the following definition of failure:
"A few small errors in judgement, repeated every day" 💭
It's so profoundly true. In the vast majority of cases, failure does not happen overnight, even though it may seem like it. Failure is typically the result of a continuous process and chain of events. This is applicable to pretty much any area of life: business, relationships, health - you name it.
📉 In business it may be the small errors in recognizing trends and patterns. Not paying attention to the subtle signals you're getting from clients and partners, or competition. Not making the changes in your operations and structures. Not having the difficult conversations with stakeholders. Not taking the steps to innovate and push forward...
💔 In relationships it may be the all the little missed opportunities to demonstrate care and kindness. The small gestures you did not make. The little rituals you did not perform. The times when you weren't paying attention. The small words with big meaning you did not say...
💉 With health it may be all the little temptations you succumbed to - eating unhealthy, drinking a little too much, not getting enough sleep. All the times you decided not to exercise or be active. All the times you chose to postpone a doctor's appointment and not look after yourself properly.
It's rarely a single event that brings us down. There is always something that you can point to that was "the last straw" and caused the system to break. However, you need to take into account the broader context around it - on it's own, that event would hardly cause the same damage.
Here's some good news: the reverse is also true! Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day. One of my personal mantras is: "Little things make big things happen". It holds true for both the good and bad - change, breakthrough, transformation - it's always the result of many small things that accumulate and compound over time.
The things you do consistently matter far more than the things you do occasionally. The occasional superb delivery does not make you a great service provider. The occasional workout does not put you in a great shape. The occasional thoughtful gesture does not make you a great partner.
It's the things you do on a regular basis that make the magic happen. Ultimately we arrive at the same place - a single move leads to a wild success. But it's not just that one move you made. It's all the other actions that you've been taking consistently that setup the win. The daily grind and hustle is where we need to be most of the time to succeed.
Stay strong 💪