Screw Forbes 30 under 30, You Are The Creator of Your Success Timeline
Don’t let anyone define your timeline for success.
My OCD monster showed up and had been haunting me for the past few years, reminding me I was on my way to turning 33 soon. He is a bit of an asshole because he’s always telling me: “I suck” or “too late,” “ they are doing better,” “they are ahead, and I am in a hamster-wheel getting nowhere” because of these stories of 30 under 30 from Forbes.
I always admired successful people, but I feel like there’s a part inside me I allowed to think less of myself. It doesn’t mean I hate those with success; it inspires me! But at the same time, this is something that shouldn’t be happening because now I gave power to my OCD and Forbes to make me feel like I lack success for not fitting those boxes they set.
The idea of success and being successful can be a relative term. There are many types, definitions, criteria for what makes someone successful by society’s standards but the only one that I have set up to define myself is my definition which means something different every day depending on how it feels in my gut.
It takes time to figure out your definition of success, so there isn’t any need or point in feeling pressure from other humans with their various artificial boxes who seem determined when you should meet their predetermined parameters as far as defining your version of what constitutes satisfying achievement.
“Everything in life happens according to our time, our clock. You may look at some of your friends and think that they’re ahead of you, maybe some of them you feel are behind, but Everything happens at their own pace. They have their own time and clock, and so do you. Be patient.” Jay Shetty
The Following People Prove That You Can Achieve Your Dreams At Any Age:
Julia Child
She wrote her first book on cooking at the age of 50 and later became a celebrity chef to hold her cooking show — in fact, she became the first lady to be in the Culinary Institute of America’s Hall of Fame.
Gems to apply:
- Collect epic, out of this world recipes around the world turn into a mini-cookbook
- List the book on Amazon (take a class on amazon publishing)
- Run Facebook ads (signup for Facebook marketing class) targeting buyers of food recipe magazines
- Test different covers, titles, geographical locations
- it might become a hit, and if not, try something different.
Harry Bernstein
His story had me in tears of inspiration. He was 96 years old when he wrote “The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers.” He didn’t stop there. He went on to write two more books, can you believe that? If this doesn’t strike chills in your spine, you are sleeping.
Gems to apply:
- Write that book you kept putting off
- Be the inspiration for generations to come
- Shock the naysayers who’ve brushed their limiting belief on you
Anna Mary Robertson Moses
She was a genius artistic painter who started painting at the age of 78. Grandma Moses (the name she was best know for) paintings were featured on postage stamps, and when one of her paintings got sold for one million dollars!
Gems to apply:
- Get creative.
- Get your hands messy.
- Do rad things because you never know that your crazy painting, art, the idea could be the one to land you a seat next to Oprah.
Vera Wang
The dream of becoming an Olympic figure skater was crushed for Vera Wang, but she never stopped searching for her unseen gift. She landed in the fashion industry at 40 and became the world’s top clothing designer.
Gems to apply:
- Failed once, twice. It doesn’t matter. Keep going
- Kick the doors of opportunities and introduce yourself
- Never stop believing in yourself
- You can have your most remarkable comeback when you persist
Final Thoughts:
You are never late. You’re the driver of your success timeline, so why should you buy into other people’s timelines? The truth is that we all have different timelines and what makes someone successful may not be about hitting milestones at a certain age; instead, it could just be being able to embrace your little accomplishments.
I believe in your potential to accomplish the impossible because you are and always were a masterpiece creation! Now go out there and show off all of those talents that I know you have. Make it snow for these people and your demons inside your head so they can be breathless at what an awe-inspiring person like yourself is capable of doing.
