Promonoise -- The Podium
We all want to stand on the podium, don’t we?
I mean, who doesn’t want that incredible feeling that comes along with being recognized for your excellence?
What so many of us forget, time and time again, is that the podium moment is a result. It’s not the cause. And in forgetting what we already know, we set ourselves up for disappointment; some of us rather frequently.
In the world of sales, our podium moment is the sales check or the social media shout out. And the PO is the end of the race. “We got the PO - we won!!” is what a lot of us would say upon receiving a million dollar order. But that feeling’s fleeting, isn’t it?
You’ve been standing on the podium your entire life.
One way of enjoying a more sustainable and prolonged feeling of contentment and satisfaction is to see the entire journey as being intimately connected to the podium. An Olympic gold medalist doesn’t just appear on the podium. Rather, the podium moment is often the result of years of practice, patience, learning, perseverance, set-backs, challenges, and small victories.
Our family celebrates Christmas and I can tell you that my favorite part of Christmas is the lead-up to it. That’s the time I’m thinking of gifts for friends and family; it’s the time that I’m planning our annual hot-sauce holiday challenge; it’s when I sit down in my living room on a cold and snowy evening, after the kids are in bed, and revel in the season with my wife. Truth be told, Christmas is kind of a letdown after experiencing the joy of the season.
Trust me when I tell you that you’ll get more joy out of your career when you take the time to appreciate the work you’re putting-in right now; when you bask in the support of your team; or when you solve a particularly challenging dilemma with colleagues.
Those moments are enduring and last far longer than the dopamine rush from a large purchase order. They’re also the moments in which you are learning. They make-up the experience that you carry with you and transfer to similar challenges. As you accumulate these experiences, you will use them to create multiple podium appearances in your storied career.
Remember this: podiums are built; they don’t just appear. Your very experience is what’s building the podiums on which you’ll be celebrated. In every story, there is a beginning, a middle, and an end. Every part is integral to the structure of the story. It’s the body of work leading-up to the ending that’s the most intriguing. So if you celebrate the journey and delight in the lessons you’re learning along the way, you’ll set yourself up for a life of contentment and many podium appearances that you’ll realize you were always standing on.
There’s a spot next to me on the podium and it’s got your name on it!
Keep making beautiful noise!
Alex
