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When Success Comes Too Fast
Legendary Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
That saying is especially apropo when it comes to running a small business.
So many small businessowners want to travel the entire thousand miles in a single bound. They don't want to exercise the patience that's required to do it right - one step at a time. They want instant riches, fortune and fame. And they want it yesterday.
So what's wrong with that? What's wrong with wanting to travel the entire thousand mile journey at warp speed? Because there are risks involved when success comes too fast. Let me tell you a true story: The whole world knows who Michael jackson is. He is arguably the greatest and most successful entertainer who ever lived, and holds the Guiness World Record for most successful album in music history, "Thriller."
However, what you may not know is that Michael Jackson was a world famous superstar and had four #1 records by the time he was ten years old. That's right, four #1 records by the time he was ten - an unprecedented feat that still hasn't been matched to this day. In fact, he and his brothers, The Jackson 5 were the biggest musical act in the entire world when Michael was only ten.
While that's an impressive resume by anyone's standards, it came with a huge price. Psychiatrists say, Michael's current pyschological problems stem from the fact he never had a real childhood. Because he was a child prodigy - a genius, he was forced to grow up too fast. That's why he built an amusement park as his palace. He wanted to live the childhood he never had. As a result, he turned into the extremely dysfunctional adult you see today.
You're seeing the same type of dysfunction with today's young stars. Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie, Amy Winehouse. You're seeing the dysfunction of what happens when success and stardom comes too fast, and you don't get to experience life as a natural progression.
While the aforementioned may be extreme examples, the same premise holds true in business. When success comes too fast, you risk missing out on so much. You risk missing out on gaining valuable business insight, knowledge and experience. You risk becoming dysfunctional.
You risk missing out on nurturing your business and watching it grow. You risk missing out on the joy and pain, the triumphs and disappointments, the heartache, jubilation and appreciation that come with failure followed by success. You risk missing out on sharing war stories with your colleagues. You risk missing out on acquiring memories that will last you a lifetime.
Those are just some of the many things you miss out on when success comes too fast.
In closing, slow down, enjoy life. Shoot for the stars, yes! But don't stress out over being an overnight success. When success comes it comes. Work hard for success, but don't try to rush it.
Or in the famous words of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., "Rome wasn't built in a day!"
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Originally Posted by Dale King
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