Go Big or Go Home? Redefine Success!

How many times have you heard “Go Big or Go Home? It seems like I’ve heard this phrase thousands of times over the years, ok, maybe hundreds, not thousands, but you get the idea! Every time I’ve heard that, somewhere in my mind I’ve had the thought that if you can’t make a huge splash, you ought not to launch a new project or concept. Now, I love a big idea, and I absolutely love to make a splash, but recently, I’ve decided that, at least for me, it’s time to redefine “Go Big”, to redefine success perhaps, to encourage all of us to know that it’s just not necessary to “Go Home”.

Success, defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as “the achievement of something desired” is not limited in its definition to any particular outcome, yet as a business community, we seem to imprint a particular story on success without regard for the desire of the person or team we are evaluating. Have you heard the story about the wealthy American who went on a fishing charter with a small boat owner from a tiny village in Mexico? After a fantastic day on the water, the business man pitched the boat owner on the great potential for marketing the experience. He painted a picture of a grand fleet of boats, taking people from all over the world fishing and generating untold profits in a few short years of intense growth. The Mexican peasant simply smiled and said, “so we could retire on the beach and fish every day?”

True success is knowing what YOUR desire is and achieving that. Having the courage to claim the lifestyle YOU want and holding true to YOUR values and dreams. The courage to tell the truth about who we are and invite others to support OUR vision of success for ourselves is the path to living a life WE love. And in the end, isn’t that really all that matters?