As we continue our series “How to Measure Success,” I am excited to share the final part with you today. We are going to talk about Success in Business Goals, and I promise this will be a conversation that helps you see your progress in a whole new light.
My Business Destination
When we think about business success, most of us picture the big, shiny outcomes. We dream about healthy bank accounts, loyal customers lining up at our doors, and making a real difference in the world. These are what I like to call our “business destinations” the places we hope to reach someday.
In the perfect world, we would measure our success by looking at these amazing outcomes. We would check our financial reports and smile at the numbers. We would count our happy customers and feel proud of the impact we are making. This kind of measuring works beautifully when you have already reached many of your goals.
But here is the thing that many people do not talk about, what happens when you are still working toward those big dreams? What do you do when your bank account does not yet show the numbers you hoped for? How do you stay motivated when your customer base is still growing slowly?
This is where many business owners feel stuck and wonder if they are failing. But friend, let me tell you something important, you are not failing. You just need to learn how to celebrate a different kind of success.
My Business Journey
Just like we have been learning throughout this series, the destination is wonderful, but the journey matters just as much. Your business journey is filled with important steps that deserve recognition, even when they have not yet turned into big financial wins.
Think about it this way, every business has inputs and outputs. The inputs are all the hard work, meetings, phone calls, and efforts you put in every single day. The outputs are the money, customers, and results that come from all that work. When the outputs are not showing up yet, it becomes very important to celebrate your inputs. Why? Because those inputs are real progress, and they are building the foundation for your future success.
Let me share some examples of inputs you can measure and celebrate. You can count how many meetings you have had with potential customers. You can track how many new business proposals you have sent out. You can measure how many new markets you are exploring or how many new ideas you are testing. Each of these activities is moving you closer to your goals, even when you cannot see the final results yet.
Now, let me tell you a story from my own business that shows exactly what I mean. For the past few years, I have been posting regularly on LinkedIn. I have shared my thoughts, connected with people, and built my voice in the business world. When I sit down and count all the actual dollars I have earned directly through LinkedIn, the number might surprise you, it is not even close to six figures, and maybe not even five figures.
At first glance, you might think this means my LinkedIn strategy has failed. After all, three years of work should show bigger financial results, right? But here is what I have learned, I cannot focus only on the money outcome. Instead, I celebrate the journey inputs that are building something valuable.
First, I have posted consistently for an entire year. That takes discipline and commitment. Second, my follower count has grown steadily over time, which means more people are interested in what I have to say. Third, people now know me as a trusted voice when it comes to leadership and business topics. These are real wins that deserve celebration.
Have these achievements turned into big money or tons of new customers yet? No, not yet. But I know that as I keep focusing on growing these inputs, the outputs will come. We are building something solid, step by step, day by day.
Key Lessons
Before we wrap up, let me share the most important things to remember from our conversation today:
Success in business can be measured in two powerful ways: by outcomes and by activities. While outcomes like financial results and customer growth are wonderful goals, activities and inputs are equally important to celebrate, especially when you are still building toward your bigger dreams.
Every business runs on inputs that create outputs. When the outputs are not showing up yet, celebrating your inputs keeps you motivated and moving forward. Consistency, growth in followers, building your reputation, sending proposals, having client meetings, these are all real victories that deserve recognition.
The journey matters just as much as the destination. Your daily efforts, small improvements, and steady progress are building the foundation for your future success, even when you cannot see the final results yet.
Action point
- Here is what I want you to do this week: take a close, honest look at your business and ask yourself this important question: “Even though I have not seen all the outcomes I want yet, what inputs can I celebrate to keep recognizing that I am succeeding and making progress on my journey?”
Remember, friend, success is not just about reaching the mountain top. Success is also about every step you take up the mountain, every skill you learn along the way, and every small victory that builds your strength for the journey ahead.
Keep going, You are doing better than you think.