Enjoy winning and the process. It trumps the pain of losing and failure

“It’s true that great content hinges on great storytelling and that every story in the universe has already been told. But not by you. You are unique, and you provide nuance, perspective, and details that no one else can. That means you don’t just have the ability to generate unique pieces of creative — you are the unique piece of creative.” — Gary Vaynerchuk, Crushing It

The last three plus years working full time in financial services and running my own business for myself haven’t always been the prettiest moments. However, it’s been rewarding and worth every second of it. If you want to change the world, sometimes you have to slide through life’s obstacles and challenges head first.

Want a simple (not easy) formula for success? Double your rate of failure, learn from your mistakes, and most importantly, from the mistakes of others. That will dramatically shorten your learning curve. Do not fear failure! Fear being in the same exact position 365 days from now in 2019. Biggest lesson learned this year: fail your way forward.

Moving forward, I’ve been grateful to learn along my journey as an entrepreneur you must recognize you’re going to lose and get knocked down, a lot. My mindset wasn’t always like this because growing up I was conditioned by society, my parents, and my schoolteachers to become an employee. Looking back on it, I’ve been working since I was 14 years old.

The toughest transition is going from an employee, to being self-employed, and finally, an entrepreneur. I currently see myself as an intrapreneur. What I mean by this is the act of behaving like an entrepreneur while working within a large organization. It’s still 100% better than being an employee. I’m not down on jobs here, just up on opportunity because the road to the top is better than the top.

Second lesson learned this year: don’t be in such a hurry that you don’t enjoy the ride and process. Recognize that today is the greatest time to be alive, ever! Fall in love with the process. It’s important to be mindful of the fact the market will show you whether you’re good or not.

If you’re good, you’ll work both hard and smart. Be savvy enough and always resourceful in regards to reinvesting back into yourself and your business. Be intentional in your personal growth and development! Do not keep up with the Jones’. That mentality will only lead to short term gains, not long term ones. Those individuals are broke at a higher level. It’s not always about the material items, it’s about FREEDOM!

It’s powerful whenever you take a step back, reflect on the year, and visualize where you will be going in the future. Folks, 2018 is over in roughly 2 weeks. Have you reached and accomplished the goals you set for yourself in January eleven months ago? If so, great! If not, great!

I’ll be honest with you, I merely scratched the surface of what I wanted to achieve and do this year. I’m behind but I take full responsibility. The important part is not to make any excuses for why you aren’t where you want to be yet. In hindsight, I’d rather 10X and set my goals incredibly high and miss as opposed to setting them too low and hitting. Does that make sense?

Here’s one helpful tool in regards to goals and goal setting. Third lesson learned this year: SMART goals:

• Specific in defining what you want and what you don’t want.
• Measurable to help you track success.
• Attainable to ensure you can drive towards the goal(s).
• Realistic and in alignment with broader priorities and values.
• Timely and accomplished within a targeted period.

Put an action plan in place right now! Don’t be lazy, unmotivated or put this off. Waiting until New Years Eve or New Year’s Day to plan your goals of reaching whatever (XYZ) it is for yourself won’t help. Get it done now and focus even harder on what you want for yourself, your family, future family, career, relationships, physical health, mental health, spiritual heath, emotional heath, or whatever it may be.

Winning in business and entrepreneurship is more about staying power, relentlessness, tenacity, visions and dreams, than it ever is about skills or talent. You show me someone with enough vision and a big enough dream, I’ll show you someone who will eventually acquire the skills, talents or the other people necessary to make that huge dream happen!

You are not going to be successful unless you put the work in. If anybody tells you otherwise, they’re full of shit. It’s all about perseverance and all of the hard work and reps you put in in the decades leading up to it that make you ready.

Are you passionate about what you’re doing? Or are you numb to the pain and continue to do what you’re doing in order to get by? Are you even good at what you’re doing or are you great? Either way, then fucking do it.

It’s one thing to read a book or get ‘motivated’ at a meeting or conference; it’s another thing to take action and get results. With that, I’m speaking directly at myself…no one is particular. Because in reality, I’ve wasted a lot of time, energy, and money. I don’t want the same outcome to happen for anyone else. Fourth lesson learned this year: time is your friend; impulse is your enemy.

Lastly, as I’m coming in for a landing, be vulnerable. It’s attractive. Also, admit that you’re still learning because that will give people a reason to still check in on your progress in the future. And as you’re preparing for a great 2019, don’t just stay focused on what you know; spend a lot of time asking yourself who you are, as well as, would people want to lead and follow someone like you?

If you feel like there are areas upon which you have to improve, which is always the case, then address those issues my friends and family because 2019 is all about more growth, leaders creating leaders, winning, and falling deeper in love with the process.

Happy holidays everyone! Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! Thank you to everyone who continues to read, support, comment, and clap for all of my blog posts in 2018. You don’t know (or maybe you do) how gratifying it is for me or how much I appreciate that :)

All the best,

Donovan Vogel