Success Is A Lagging Indicator | Monday Morning Freelance

It's Sunday, November 12th, 2023. Another busy week has flown by.

As I sip my (yes, late-night) coffee and scroll through my social feeds, I see posts about the week's big wins.

One colleague is posting about landing new clients.

Another has recently had a promotion within their agency.

A good friend finally launched their online course (Yes, I totally signed up!)

I 👏 love 👏  it. 👏  

There’s nothing better than seeing your friends succeed. And their celebrations are well-deserved, but they also provide an incomplete picture.

Success doesn't happen overnight. It's not an event, it's a process.

The big wins we celebrate are lagging indicators - the results of small actions compounded over time. Before my friend signed her dream client, she was hustling to perfect her sales pitch.

Before my friend launched his online course, he spent months recording content.

And that Executive Vice President promotion? That’s one well-deserved raise years in the making.

As creatives and freelancers, we're motivated by progress. We want to level up fast. But lasting success is built slowly, through daily 1% improvements.

Too often, we overlook those small wins in our quest for lightning-strike moments. We seek hacks and silver bullets when we should be focused on consistency.

This week, I made progress, too.

I hopped on a few sales calls, outlined a month’s worth of social content, and relaunched my 30 Second Freelancer video series.

Tiny steps forward, but steps nonetheless. I recorded a short video for an agency friend, even though I was tired. I squeezed in an extra workout when I wasn't motivated.

And here’s the deal: Those micro-wins don't garner retweets or LinkedIn likes. But they're the key ingredients for my long-term success.

The big moments will come in time. For now, I'll celebrate my small daily progress by enjoying this Sunday night coffee.

My success is being built one tiny action at a time.

The key is consistency. Don't get distracted chasing flashy wins. Lay a brick each day, and soon you'll have a fortress. Success is a lagging indicator, so keep moving forward.

Your results will come if you focus on progress over perfection. The compounded impact of those small gains will be massive.

So… What?

If success is a lagging indicator, what should we do about it? Here are three key ideas to help put this concept into practice:

1. Celebrate small wins. Those tiny daily improvements are laying the foundation for your big success down the road. Recognize and appreciate your micro-progress.

2. Stay consistent. The compound effect only works if you keep taking those small actions day after day. Build habits and systems that support consistency.

3. Have patience. Remember that lasting success takes time. Avoid short-term hacks and stay focused on daily progress. Your big moments will come if you persist.

The wins and achievements we admire in others represent years of unseen work. Success is a marathon, not a sprint.

Keep your head down, embrace the process, and know that your 1% improvement today will lead to your moment in the spotlight someday. Consistency compounds.