People like to say that success is personal. That each individual must determine what success means for him or her. I've probably said similar things on this blog in the past.
I'm not so sure that success is personal anymore. I think I was wrong.
Success isn't personal.
Not if you're trying to spread an idea, make an impact, or change something.
It can be objectively measured.
It can be objectively measured.
Let's say you want to feed Ghana. You can't just wake up one day after feeding one small school in Madina and say you have achieved personal success. Sure, you have done something. And as my friend Paa Kwesi says...doing something is always better than doing nothing. But if your goal was to feed Ghana, then the only way you measure how well you're doing is by counting how many you feed today, and tomorrow, and the day after that, ten years after that and if the number keeps increasing and the people in Ghana are slowly shifting from eating imported food to eating your home grown food, then maybe someday you'll achieve success. Which in this case is only defined one way: feeding Ghanaians.
On the journey to make any kind of change, it can get confusing. People will start applauding you for change you have not yet made. If you don't take care, you'll start to think that the public recognition is a measure of your progress. It isn't.
Public recognition can be good. Maybe it will help you find more farmers. Maybe it will help you find more buyers. It may remind and encourage you that the task you've set before you is important and worthy of pursuit.
But it must never be mistaken for progress.
Remember, you did not set out to get public recognition. The task was to feed Ghanaians! Only in doing that, can you say you have succeeded.You measure your success by assessing progress in the task you set for yourself.
But it must never be mistaken for progress.
Remember, you did not set out to get public recognition. The task was to feed Ghanaians! Only in doing that, can you say you have succeeded.You measure your success by assessing progress in the task you set for yourself.
Only you will know how well you are doing in the attainment of that goal. So if it looks to you like the media is over-blowing your success, you're right.
At that point you need to get back to work. To the task of providing Ghanaians food. Not to granting interviews about the thing you have not yet done.
Hmm...
ReplyDeleteHave you been reading my mind lately?
I tell you, this is a tough one.
clever! But let's take Ghana as an example. Every political party wants to leave something before the future gov't describes it as 'having done nothing'. Hence, things would be rushed, steps would not be taken that which need to be taken and in the end, something would be done to define success. In some few years we would see the road falling apart, the poorly-implemented program falling apart etc. It is a difficult issue and what you have said is right. You should measure your success by the set goal.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of our conversation some years ago; about trying not to be a big fish in a little pond...
ReplyDeleteGood piece.
You're right. I should start ignoring all the talks around me. Some applaud it. Some diss it. and the dissing ones get to me. - So now i know, i just need to keep my eye on the goal and journey there. That's how to succeed. Not those around.
ReplyDelete