“I may not live on the other side of the tracks, but I can still hear the train.”
There are a ton of self-help resources available in print and online to help human beings deal with failure. There are also a ton of resources about how to become successful. But, not much is available for those that want to learn how to deal with success.
Frankly, the market is pretty small, and the definition is different for everyone.
So, let’s define the context of the word “success” in this blog post: You’re successful at your job. You don’t have to be rich and you don’t have to be the CEO. But, you’re respected in the workplace, your job is as secure as is reasonable to believe in the early 21st century, and you’re compensated to the extent that you’re comfortable as defined by your own terms.
So, is the race over? Time to take off the uniform?
Of course not. But, we’ve all made the mistake of getting too comfortable or too arrogant after a good run at work. I admit it, I’ve done it. Got kicked in the keister for it, too.
The inspiration for that pithy Rocky-III-like quote at the beginning of this post is the current state of my life and career. I actually live in a nice neighborhood, but the train tracks are 3 blocks away and we hear those trains rumble and hoot at all hours. It’s mostly white-noise to us now, but every once in a while we get one coming through that gets our attention.
Much like work. I started a new job several months ago, and it has gone very well. Better than I expected, and much better than my management expected. A short time ago though, I got sloppy and rushed and made a mistake. Not big, no real impact, but enough to get my attention like a midnight coal train rumbling through the neighborhood. It reminded me to stay disciplined, focus on the details, work the fundamentals, and always, always strive for a higher standard.
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