What does success online look like to you?
Seriously… I’m asking the question for real. You’re obviously interested in marketing some sort of business online because you’re reading my blog… So I’m assuming because you’re taking the time to do so that you want some sort of success online…
What does success online look like to you?
It’s a question I ask myself all the time. I’m still working on the answer.
If there was a gun to my head I’d say something like:
“The ability to create content around success Online and make a comfortable living…”
If the chick with the gun is serious and pulls the hammer back, I’d probably let my ego show a little and include:
“To be widely regarded as THE Thought-Leader in Insurance Marketing while making enough income to spend more awake time with my family each week than time working…”
But I’d settle for somewhere between the first one and the second one…
STOP!
WAIT…
SETTLE?
REALLY?
Hell NO I wouldn’t settle… I want the second one and throw in a standing Saturday morning tee time at my favorite local golf course with three of my closest buddies a case of cheap beer.
Now that’s what success online looks like to me… A job that challenges my creativity, tons of family time and Golf.
What does success online look like to you?
Have you painted that picture in your mind?
Don’t answer that yet. Let’s start with…
- How do we paint the picture of your success online?
- What colors will we use?
- What medium?
- What brush stroke style?
- How big of a painting should it be?
See…
The questions we ask in life Frame who we are… But it’s our actions that paint the picture | Click to Tweet
(This grimy yet kinda cool photo is brought to you by my new favorite social tools… Instagram and my white board)
Actions Paint Our Success Online
I have this running conversation going with Jason “J-Ryze” Fonseca of Ryze Online spanning the comment section of like 7 different blogs about how to get to success (The awesomeness of this discussion is fodder for another post)…
We all want success in some shape… But how do you get there? More importantly how do we know we’re there when we do get there?
In thinking about that question for the last couple days I’ve decided that I don’t like the analogy of success being found at the end of Journey.
I see success more as a painting… A painting that over the years of our life we continue to perfect by adding more detailed and intricate brush strokes with every action we take.
Some of us paint the Starry Night or the Mona Lisa… Others never make it past Kindergarten Finger Painting.
But success is derived from our own personal satisfaction in the final brush stroke of life… Click to Tweet
Paint Over Mistakes
This is why action is so important. You can always paint over mistakes.
Planning is wonderful and important but true failure is the result of In-Action.
So get to work. Take action… Paint your picture of success.
Every action doesn’t need to be the perfect action or final action to part of your Success Online.
But every action does lead to that final brush stroke.
Thank you and Good luck.
Ryan H.
SPEAK YOUR MIND: What does your painting of success look like?
Hi Ryan, great title! It certainly grabbed my attention… Mistakes! That’s a great word. I think they are just lessons to give us experience, personal strength and development. I can share two of them. One is waiting from others to tell you or guide you and the second is not to be clear. Clarity of purpose is important and focusing on the solution too. As for asking questions or waiting from others, it should be better to take some risks and listen to your own instinct and take massive action! Thanks for sharing with us.
John Mak
John Mak wants you to check out… 4 Surefire Ways to Secure Your Online Business with Backups
John,
Thanks for stopping by buddy!
I love this… “it should be better to take some risks and listen to your own instinct and take massive action! ”
Ryan H
Definitely love the idea of defining your end points although it’s also equally important to reevaluate over time as we grow and change. You definitely got me thinking more about the goals for my blog, so thanks!
sarah wants you to check out… Into the Woods: Or What Happens Between an Ending and a Beginning
Sarah…
That’s what I like about Painting analogy… You can always paint over what’s you’ve done as your vision for success changes…
Thanks,
Ryan H.
Ryan Hanley wants you to check out… Content Creation Curation – Social Media RoundUp – Week 16
Hi Ryan,
You raised many interesting points. When am I there? When I can work when, where, and as much as I want to ;D
An love your quote, “Planning is wonderful and important but true failure is the result of in-action”. It sums the whole “failure” thing up very neatly
Peter Sandeen wants you to check out… How to Seduce a Goldfish
Thanks Peter!
From the look and feel of your site it seems like you’re not too far away….
Ryan H.
Very deep Ryan (in a non-sarcastic way)! Way to create drama while making an important point. My new motto. Plan (once), act a lot on that plan (not shiny objects), learn, re-plan. Do it over again. Thanks for putting the figurative gun to my head…
Tom Treanor wants you to check out… Authors, Speakers and Thought Leader Wannabe’s: Build Your Platform BEFORE You Need It!
Haha… Thanks Tom… I love that “Plan Once”.
You don’t learn unless you “Do” and once you do you learn and re-do better…
Appreciate you stopping by!
Ryan H.
I have lots of measurements of success, depending on the goal. People have a tendency to go around berating themselves for not having done this or that. It’s easy to beat ourselves up about failure to do a particular job. But what if we congratulated ourselves on the things we manage to do (let’s face it, no one else will)? We might feel better about ourselves.
Mike Garner wants you to check out… Technology won’t make you a genius, but practice might
Celebrate the small successes… I love it. Thanks Mike!
I agree with Jackie and love her comment “success is a horizon”
The journey is what creates who we are, we are constantly changing, and so should our definition of success. When you first start your business you would celebrate the success of making your first $100,000 but do you stop there? NO what you have learned, and what you have created is a new launching pad towards your first $1M, then $10M.
And to answer your question about what online success means for me: “To educate, inspire, and challenge millions of people to think different and make changes that will result in a better life”
Steve Baines wants you to check out… The Power of “WHY” – How To Achieve Greatness, Even Without a “Competitive Advantage”
Thanks Steve…
I know you’ve thought a lot on this topic and very much value your opinion.
Ryan H.
Hah! J-Ryze in the house, and the discussion continues –
As a well-versed artist, I have to say I *love* the idea of success as a painting, and teach something similar to my students.
Difference being I put LESS focus on action.
God… the last thing most online, city-dwelling entrepreneurs need is “more action” or “more intense actions”
What I teach is easier action, more chilled out, enjoyable, inspired action — based on a foundation of clear mind and in-tune emotions.
Ryze’s Success Foundations 3.0 might be needed
http://ryzeonline.com/foundations-2-0
lol
Jason “J-Ryze” Fonceca wants you to check out… I Just Wanna Be F-ckin’ Happy
If you don’t act and win and fail and learn… How do you know what success feels like?
Dude… re-read me, y0.
I never said “dont act.”
Not even close
But have you ever seen a blogger at the computer? Count the actions per second. Watch how into the screen they are.
“More action” or “more intense action” is probably not helpful, in my experience.
Fun, easy-going, mindful action – rocks.
Jason “J-Ryze” Fonceca wants you to check out… I Just Wanna Be F-ckin’ Happy
Ryan
Success to me is fluid, constantly changing. Once you’ve stretched yourself past your existing boundaries, it opens up new ideas about what success then becomes.
I agree success isn’t about the end of the journey. Success is the horizon line, constantly in front of me, with ever changing views.
Jackie wants you to check out… Does Online Terminology Leave You Scratching Your Head?
HI Jackie,
For you Success is the chase… The idea of greater things… Love it.
Thanks,
I think the ultimate success is summed up in the word ‘freedom’. What you want is freedom to play golf and spend more time with the family.
All visions of success are simply varying degrees of freedom. That’s my 2 cents.
David wants you to check out… Getting More Traffic To Your Site Through The Disqus Commenting System
David,
I seriously could not agree with you more… If the things I’m doing now are not leading to greater degree of Freedom in my life then why am I doing them… Just to survive?
Thanks!!
I have to admit this is really a great question, any people will sure think about their answer, but for me before I can be successful in my endeavor I need to plan or create a long term goals and short term goals which includes motivation. if these three are already taken care of, success will start.
Kate Brown Wilson wants you to check out… בדידות
Kate,
Having both short-term and long-term goals is a good way to keep yourself on track to becoming a success!
Thanks,
So true Ryan people must need to plan first before making decision, by this we can be sure that sooner in the future we will be successful.
Kate Brown Wilson wants you to check out… לייטמן
You nailed it Ryan with this:
“Planning is wonderful and important but true failure is the result of In-Action”
Period.
The most frustrating entrepreneurs I work with are those who simply will not take action. Even after thinking, planning, discussing — still nothing.
Eye. That drives me nuts. And it matters not whether you are trying to succeed online or offline. Same rules apply.
Take action my friends…
Eric
Eric T. Wagner wants you to check out… 21 Reasons You Became an Entrepreneur
Eric,
Take action brother… Love it. Even if that action isn’t 100% correct the share momentum of moving forward brings you closer to your.
Thanks,
Ryan H.
I love that the person with the gun is a chick
Personally, I’d like a Seth Godin style platform, with a blog that’s practically required reading, standing invitations to speak, and plenty of cool people looking me up all the time. At least then there wouldn’t be the constant tension of pushing myself and my work out there, while pulling back out of the hamster wheel so that I can breathe and reflect and do my work.
Pipe dreams…
Shanna Mann wants you to check out… You’re Not a Hero. Boo-Frickety-Hoo.
Shanna,
So you want to push yourself on your own terms not someone else’s… Fantastic goal!
Thanks!
Hi Ryan
Interesting question. For me success online is, when you can make a living from it and you can work when you want and not when other people want, like in a normal job.
Bruno Buergi wants you to check out… The Power of Mastermind
Bruno,
So for you success online is Freedom! That’s a great goal…
Thanks for the sharing!