"I want to be learning so fast that I am constantly surprised
at how stupid I was two weeks ago."
- Alan Weiss
A number of years ago I was sitting in a meeting when someone made a statement that I thought was incredibly insightful and profound. The person said,
"Successful people look at themselves as a work in progress.
Unsuccessful people look at themselves as the finished product."
No one else even flinched.
Think about the positive implications of living life as a journey rather than a test.
Here are 3 benefits to changing your mindset from trying to prove yourself to trying to improve yourself.
1. RESILIENCE
When you look at life as a journey and your goal is to get better, failures and mistakes are simply a way to learn and bounce back stronger than before. If you are trying to prove yourself, failures and mistakes become discouraging and weakening.
2. OPENNESS TO FEEDBACK
All of us were born on the wrong side of our eyeballs. We don't see ourselves the way others see us. We have blind spots. When others give us feedback, it's an opportunity to learn something new. If you are trying to prove yourself, you avoid feedback. And when you do receive it, the tendency is to be defensive or to deny.
3. FREEDOM
It's a lot easier living life as a journey. You don't have to be perfect. The pressure is off. You can live lighter. Everything that comes your way is an opportunity to get better.
I read a book years ago with the title, 'What Got You Here, Won't Get You There'. What a great life philosophy. Let's not be complacent, the only direction you can coast is downhill.
When we are through growing, we're through.