The Monotony of Success

• January 11, 2018

Have you ever given up on something because it got boring? You know those goals you set, maybe a New Year resolution that shortly after starting you stop working on, maybe because it got boring or because you were not seeing the results fast enough. Maybe even a job or project for work that you quit on because it wasn’t exciting or fulfilling anymore.

In a recent interview I had on C-Suite Success Radio with Shep Hyken, Customer Experience Expert and Chief Amazement Officer, I learned that there is a monotony of success that you must withstand if you are going to be successful. That means that in order to be successful most of what you do day in and day out is going to be monotonous.

The good news is that if you are bored or less than fulfilled with some of the work you are doing because it is monotonous, as long as you keep doing it you are working towards success. It is the day in and day out little things that compound into your great achievement. That is a lesson I learned reading The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy and The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. In order to accomplish anything it takes time, discipline, and repeating the right behavior.

The reason I bring this up is because I think it is simple to understand yet profound its meaning. Instead of being bored or unfulfilled by some of the mundane and monotonous tasks you have to do every day, reframe those experiences into excitement for what you are building and creating in those actions.

You can apply this to losing weight, getting a degree or certification, completing a project, training for a marathon, or just about anything you want to accomplish. When I look back at all the activities I quit on before I succeeded because “they weren’t fun anymore” and realize that was a sign that I was working on my success I wonder what would have happened if I had kept going. And since I didn’t know it then I use it now to keep me working towards my current and future goals.

I bring this short message to you as we start the new year to help you reframe your thoughts as you dig into your 2018 goals. Monotony might just be the sign that you are working towards a successful outcome.

Wishing you a Successful and Happy New Year!