I often struggle to understand why so many people settle into a routine of simply going through the motions. To be clear, I understand how it happens. Stress, setbacks, and prolonged struggle have a way of wearing us down until complacency feels safer than ambition. Life is hard. Work is hard. Selling is hard. Most of us have a basic understanding of what success means, and we all want it—though we define it differently. That part is healthy. What troubles me is not the variety of definitions, but how casually many of us treat success as optional. Perhaps that sounds overly optimistic, but when success is treated as optional, it rarely becomes anything more than that. In sales, and in most roles, we want to feel successful on our own terms. Yet accepting a low standard often leaves us quietly dissatisfied. We set annual goals, drift off track for a month or two, and instead of recalibrating, we quietly decide the goal wasn’t that important anyway.
Stop making success optional. You will not always hit your mark. Plans change. Circumstances shift. Some challenges turn out to be far more difficult than expected. Commitment matters most in those moments. Commitment to success is what guides us through uncertainty and frustration. Sometimes that commitment is to a goal; other times it is to people who depend on us. Ultimately, it is always a commitment to ourselves. Committing to success does not mean having all the answers—no one ever does. It means making a covenant with yourself to persist, adapt, and continue forward regardless of obstacles. This goes beyond accountability and positive thinking. It is about hardwiring resilience into your mindset so challenges become part of the process rather than a reason to quit. Every meaningful path includes adversity. If you want to stop making success optional, here are five things that will help.
- Define success clearly and specifically – Vague goals invite vague effort. Be precise about what success looks like, how it will be measured, and when progress should be reviewed.
- Treat goals as commitments, not preferences – A preference can be abandoned without consequence. A commitment demands adjustment when things go off track, not abandonment.
- Expect resistance—and plan for it – Motivation will fade. Obstacles will appear. Anticipating resistance allows you to respond strategically instead of emotionally.
- Separate performance from identity – Missing a target does not define you. Quitting does. Evaluate results honestly, make corrections, and continue forward without self-sabotage.
- Recommit weekly, not annually – Success is sustained through frequent recommitment. Weekly reflection keeps goals relevant, visible, and actionable instead of distant and theoretical.
