Overcoming Success
By Rod Patterson, MBA
The confetti’s long gone. The numbers look good. The trophy’s up on the shelf, catching dust and sunlight. You did it! But somewhere between the applause and the next morning’s coffee, it gets quiet. After a week, that fire in your chest? Dimmed. The goals that used to jolt you out of bed? Accomplished! Your accolades now sit there, framed, admired, untouched.
That’s when success gets sneaky.
It’s not failure that trips us up. It’s arrival.
Stephen Curry didn’t let it stop him. After becoming the first unanimous MVP and winning 73 games, he didn’t coast. He Worked with his trainer to intentionally break his jumper and rebuild it. He developed a higher arc, quicker release, deeper range. He didn’t need to. He chose to. Because once you think you’ve arrived, you start slipping.
John Maxwell? He’d sold millions of books, spoken worldwide. But instead of chasing a bigger mic, he chased new ladders. He started learning from people outside his lane—artists, scientists, missionaries. At 70, he ran his first half-marathon. Because success in one area isn’t a throne. It’s a launchpad.
Ken Blanchard flipped his own leadership model on himself. He asked, “Where am I still growing?” Then he got to work—weekly dinners with his wife, a trainer for his health, a service group for his faith. He didn’t chase more fame. He chased more life.
So what about you?
You don’t need a ring or a book deal to get stuck. You just need to stop stretching. Here’s how to keep moving:
• Score yourself in six areas: career, health, relationships, learning, adventure, contribution.
• Switch lanes. If you’ve mastered one, try another.
• Write a letter from your future self. What are you proud of? Who did you become?
• Get 0.1% better at something new. Daily.
• Check in quarterly. Are you a beginner, learner, contributor, or master?
Success isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting whistle. So take a breath. Wipe off the trophy if you want, but don’t stare at it too long.
The next play is already in motion.
Guard Your Gates 