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Success is a great feeling, but it can also be a trap if we’re not careful. Whether in business, sports, or life, achieving a win can often lead to complacency. Today, I want to share a personal story from my son’s flag football game that highlights how easy it is to settle when success starts rolling in—and why you need to resist that urge in order to keep growing in your online business.
Winning Isn’t the End, It’s Just the Beginning
Last night, my son’s flag football team won their first game of the season. Going into the game, we were 0-5, and the first few games weren’t even close—we were getting blown out. But over time, the kids started improving, and last night, we were actually winning at halftime.
The kids were ecstatic. For many of them, it was their first time experiencing organized sports, and they couldn’t believe they were in the lead. They were so excited just to be winning that it was as if they’d already accomplished their goal.
But here’s the thing: winning can create complacency. When you’re new to something—whether it’s flag football or starting an online business—getting that first taste of success feels amazing. However, it’s very easy to sit back, put your feet up, and relax, thinking that you’ve made it.
The Danger of Complacency in Business
This isn’t just a lesson for kids in sports—it applies to online business as well. When you start seeing success, it’s tempting to take your foot off the gas. You’ve worked hard, and it feels like you deserve a break. And yes, you should celebrate your wins, but don’t let that celebration turn into complacency.
In business, it’s crucial to use your initial success as momentum. Instead of resting on your laurels, push forward and build on that success. Whether you’ve just landed your first sale, hit a revenue milestone, or launched a new product, the worst thing you can do is assume the work is over.
Complacency can quickly halt your growth. You need to keep learning, keep innovating, and keep applying what’s working to reach the next level.
Success Should Be a Snowball, Not a Stop Sign
What I told my son’s team at halftime is something I believe applies to everyone in business: “Success creates complacency, but you have to fight against it.” Just like in sports, where one win doesn’t guarantee the next, in business, one success doesn’t mean you can stop pushing.
Think of success like a snowball rolling down a hill. With each win, your momentum grows, and your efforts compound. The more you build on that momentum, the faster and bigger your snowball will get. But if you stop pushing, that snowball isn’t going to roll on its own—it’ll just melt away.
From Struggling to Winning: A Business Lesson
To circle back to the flag football game, we wound up winning the match, scoring four or five touchdowns. It was a huge leap from the beginning of the season when we couldn’t even get the ball past midfield. The kids were thrilled, and they learned the valuable lesson that hard work leads to success—but also that success doesn’t mean you stop working.
It’s the same in business. When you hit a milestone, let that success fuel your next move. Use the lessons you’ve learned to make the next goal easier to achieve than the last.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Get Comfortable with Success
If there’s one takeaway from this story, it’s this: don’t let success make you complacent. Whether it’s your first win or your fiftieth, always strive to build on it. Take the lessons you’ve learned and use them to keep growing.
Remember, success is a journey, not a destination. Celebrate your wins, but keep pushing toward the next milestone.