Finding Success Through the Arc of Your Story

My podcast guest this week is the extraordinary Gabby Reece. Her titles and achievements are numerous: former professional volleyball player, entrepreneur, mother, podcast host, author… the list goes on. She and her husband, legendary surfer Laird Hamilton, run multiple companies including Laird Superfoods and XPT (Extreme Performance Training). 

From the outsider’s perspective, people like Gabby seem to be laser focused on their ultimate goals and refuse to let anything stand in their way. While Gabby is undoubtedly someone who knows how to execute, I appreciated that our conversation centered on the beauty of navigating life while staying flexible, letting our excitement drive us forward, and recognizing that success can be found throughout the arc of a story – not just at the end. 

As an example of how to put this mindset to work, let’s say you’re in the beginning stages of starting a company. Start by thinking, “What kind of problems do I want to solve today?” Not tomorrow, not next week, not next year. Today. As you start tackling issues that excite you, you’ll take in more information and start to be able to move in a strategic direction. 

Try it yourself:

• Take it one day at a time. It’s unrealistic to think that you’ll wake up one day with a fully-formed step-by-step plan for how to achieve a particular dream. Even if you did, you risk missing out on opportunities if you are too rigid in your mindset. Gabby lives and breathes this with XPT. She embraces what their team of professionals knows today but also weaves in room for flexibility. As she points out, it’s dangerous to define something as absolute fact and refuse to entertain other ideas. Stay progressive in your mindset and allow your plans to evolve.

• Embrace novelties. When Gabby and her husband decided to take their company public, she admits that others expressed skepticism. Rather than let that intimidate her and detract from a really cool moment in her life, she chose to savor the unique nature of what they were doing. The next time you face something novel, remember that you might never get a chance to have that moment again. You can either approach it with optimism and a growth mindset, or you can get stressed and wish for it to be over quickly. The choice is yours. 

• Be mindful of the language you use. Struggle. Grind. Difficulty. These words feel heavy and probably bring to mind feelings of exhaustion and anxiety. When you use them out loud or even to yourself repeatedly (i.e. “This week is going to be such a struggle. I have no idea how to get started.”), what lies in front of you can feel like a chore. See what it feels like to flip them. Opportunity. Learning. Experience. “I’m so excited to see what I learn this week!” you might tell a friend. Just through your choice in language, you’ve transformed a negative prospect into something highly positive.