The Apollos Solution dictates that success start now, with what you have now, the way you are now. But that’s not to an invitation to acting rashly. Last time, we left off at when it’s smart to quit your day job.
Don’t Quit Your Day Job
When I said don’t postpone your move until circumstances are ideal, I was only talking about getting started. Passion is no substitute for cash when the bills show up. Passion means that you’re willing to work two jobs until the new gig starts to gain traction. Get started and get going, but don’t jump off a cliff.
Define Success
Before we begin, we need to understand where the spacecraft is going. What is success exactly? Only you can define that.
For some, success means restoring a relationship or beginning a new one. Others might be seeking spiritual growth. No doubt some are pining for a big pile of money. This is just the beginning. There are as many definitions of success as there are people.
The first question is, does your idea of success come from you?
This may seem like an odd question. Of course your idea of success comes from you, where else could it come from?
In fact, there are a multitude of influencers whispering about what success is supposed to look like. Let’s explore a few.
- Advertising
Annual advertising in North America is approaching 300 billion dollars.[1] There’s a simple reason all this money is spent on advertising – it works. The advertisers certainly believe they can influence your decisions and they’re putting their money where their mouth is.
Advertisers show off their product or service to inspire envy and action. If you can’t afford it now, it’s something to aspire to or borrow for!
- Cultural Expectation
These influences are wide ranging. They tell us men can’t be nurses and women can’t be plumbers. It’s all the occasions when there is an expectation of what you should or shouldn’t be doing yet you can’t quite explain why.
Try this on for size. Do you own several pairs of denim pants in blue? How do all these independent thinkers arrive at the same fashion conclusion? While we’re here, what about ripped jeans? That purchase decision didn’t occur in a vacuum.
It’s comfortable to fit in, uncomfortable to stand out. But sometimes success demands veering off the accepted path and blazing an unfamiliar trail.
I had a coveted job with a large Fortune 500 company right out of college. When I left that job to become a commissioned real estate agent selling apartment buildings, many of my colleagues thought I had lost my mind. But had I not taken this gamble, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
- Sibling Rivalry
Then what about sibling rivalry? Some people are doing what they’re doing or living the way they’re living in the latest round of sibling one upmanship.
- Social Media
Social media can be an envy machine. Someone gets dressed up in their best outfit on their best day at their favorite experience. Then they share the pictures of that with the rest of the world like it’s just another day.
In fact, what are people called that have a large audience on social media? Influencers.
A 2023 Modern Wealth Survey from Charles Schwab found that social media can introduce doubt about how wealthy people feel. 47% report feeling wealthy because they can afford a lifestyle comparable to their friends. Put another way, this 47% feels good because they have kept up with the Joneses. 34% of the users of social media in the survey admitted to making purchases based on what they find friends and influencers buying.[2]
This list is hardly comprehensive. In short, there are plenty of potential influencers trying to tell you what success is supposed to look like. To one degree or another, all of us drink from this well.
The point of this exercise is to get back to what you really want. Not what’s nice to have, but what you must have to be able to call yourself successful. Anything worth doing is not going to be easy. Instead, count on making sacrifices to achieve your idea of success.
However, be careful what you wish for. Come back next time to probe the problems with pursing goals relentlessly.
[1] Statista.com, J. G. Navarro publisher, 6/8/2023
[2] https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/do-you-think-youre-rich-heres-what-americans-say Erica Lamberg, FoxBusiness June 18, 2023