In business, sports and most aspects of life, we live in a “what have you done for me lately?” society. Meaning, there is never a time when one can rest on their laurels of past achievement and successes. Sure, you might have done some great things last year, the year before, or ten years ago. While those accomplishments are not insignificant, and can help to chart a clearer direction forward, too often people get caught up in what they did versus what they do (or will do). They become emotionally paralyzed because they think what they’ve done will carry them forward.
This is simply not true.
I believe the “what have you done for me lately” mentality is prevalent namely because of the rapid rate of change in organizations, and is most prevalent specifically on sports teams, companies and in businesses. Why do athletes get traded? Why do Hall of Fame athletes get traded, is the better question. Think about some of the greatest athletes who got traded after compiling Hall of Fame careers: Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, LaDainian Tomlinson to name a few.
This happens in business all the time too. You could have the best resume on the planet but sometimes it doesn’t matter. Think of the changes in 2011 that occurred at some high-profile companies. Yahoo! for instance got new leadership, and it wasn’t because of that CEO’s track record or past achievement. It was because of “what have you done for me lately”?
A cynic might read this and say “wait, I’ve done better than anyone in my field for 20 years, and suddenly that’s not good enough?” Well, no, it isn’t. May not seem fair, but it is true. You have to constantly be reinventing yourself.
There are countless other examples of this. The point is that while it is a new year, the time is now to sharpen your edge. To be able to do for yourself, your team, your company or your partners that which is relevant today, and importantly will be relevant tomorrow. The second you let your guard down, someone more eager will be there to take advantage. So, if you are the best, or want to be the best, in what you do there isn’t anything stopping you.
Don’t get caught in the past, and don’t pat yourself too much on the back over what you’ve done. Work tirelessly to make your mark now, and do it over and over again. There is no end game. When 2012 is over, you want to look back and say “here’s what I did in 2012, and here’s what I’m doing in 2013″, not “this is what I did in 2011 or 2010. Hooray for me.”
We will always live in a “what have you done for me lately?” society. I believe this will never change. Experience is great. Achievement is great. Success is great. The difference comes in how you use what you’ve done in the past to impact what you do going forward versus always defending what you’ve done in the past and having to rely on those things too much.
It is a nuanced point, but one that I’ve found to be crucial to repetitive success.
