For this writing prompt, you’ll take a moment and consider “Where have your found success?” How you can use that success find success in your life going forward? Understanding our past successes helps us to understand our strengths as well as where we might be relying too much on past successes. Let’s dig a little deeper…

First, consider a time (or more) that you’ve been successful. Ask yourself questions about it. What did you consider success? Where have you found success? How did you find it? What did you do? What mindset did you have? What were you trying to accomplish? Who were you working with? Why do you think you found it? When was this in your life? What else was going on in your life? What circumstances were present in your life during this? How much of a role did luck play? How much of a role did privilege play? Ask yourself these questions and more. Describe how it felt before, during and after. Dig deep, and understand it. If you have more than one, do this for each of them.

Now it’s time to consider both sides of this coin. First, by examining past successes, you find patterns that can help you achieve success in your present endeavors. What mindset did you have that helped you find success? Were you super focused? Were you more relaxed? Were you in a flow state? Were there particular people involved that played particular roles? For example, was there a mentor or a leader involved? Were you able to focus more? Did you devote more time to your goal than you are willing to now? What other things do you notice from your previous successes that you can apply to your current circumstances?

Now, the other side of the same coin. Sometimes, we find that we are relying too much on our past successes in our present circumstances. Do you find that you are relying on those same patterns that helped you achieve previous success in a new context where they don’t necessarily apply today? Perhaps the ideas and actions that got you to where you are, are not the right ones to get you to where you’re trying to get. Maybe circumstances are different now, or maybe now you need to dig a little deeper to find new focus or achieve a greater level of clarity. Sometimes we rely too heavily on what got us to where we are, not understanding what we need to do in order to grow from where we are. Ask yourself, are you relying too heavily on past successes, or on the patterns of past successes to help you achieve what you’re trying to do now?

This doesn’t mean that you still can’t gain and understanding of how to grow by examining past successes. It’s quite the opposite! By examining past successes, we learn how to apply what has been successful, and we can discover gaps in our approach today. Both of which can help you to find success going forward.

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