by Brigette Mashile
One of the biggest challenges we face as businesspeople is realizing that YOU DID IT. Most of the time it is because while the success of that is happening, another hurdle is appearing. Or the very success is coming with bigger challenges and you are aware you are not ready for all of them. Therefore, we don’t sit in the success, we don’t take the time to see that we have achieved a task list we set out to achieve.
If you are a primary and high school achiever, this is harder. In those years and at that age you were trained to win at subjects in your grade, this would lead to being promoted to the next grade. But, in business, not every win propels you forward. And not all achievement is a must and there is no mark to rank your achievement. The worst of all, you are your own teacher, principal, and the student. When have you succeeded with the tests you set yourself?
I asked myself this question after someone called me successful. I realized immediately that though I knew I had done a lot, I had never called it a success. I cannot recall my first years of business goals; what did I want to achieve? Have I gotten everything? This is difficult since in business, things evolve every day. There is a new style of dress to conquer after the one we did last year. At some point, we need to stop and stare at our capabilities.
I am writing this blog for a platform read worldwide, sharing with people I may never meet; some are the greatest people in the world. This alone is a success for me. It should be. I should get a cake and tea moment for this. I had never set out to write at the age of 18, I loved reading. My experiences led me to start writing; and my wonderful life guided me to meeting the people who would afford me this opportunity.
Maybe it is deeper than just that we do not stop and stare; maybe we are constantly wanting to climb and climb and climb. Or we feel we are behind compared to our peers, or we feel we have not arrived. A note to remember is that the goals you have set are adjustable. They are YOUR goals. The effort towards them is controlled by yourself, therefore the WIN is yours. Recognize what a master you are for being able to create such a process and see it through, whether with ease or challenges.
I have decided to start a list of all the things I should have recognized as a WIN for me through the 10 years I have been running Roka Roko. I expect they will be emotional, and I might need some time to sit with the fullness of the memories. We regret the things we did not do; let’s not stop celebrating our wins; let us give ourselves time to look over our shoulders at the dust we are creating. The dust of success from sweat, tears, late nights, early mornings, and sacrifices.
Brigette Mashile is the founder and creative force behind Roka Roko, a custom fashion design business based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company passionately delivers quality tailored and trendy fashion to make their customers happy, and specializes in styling women by creating unusual combinations with fabric, culture and style. Brigette has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Witwatersrand and a Fashion Diploma from Studio5 School of Fashion. She’s a former fashion buyer for a major retailer in South Africa, and an international direct selling company. She’s been passionate about fashion since the age of 10 and gained invaluable experience in the fashion world running informal fashion creation businesses until the day her own Roka Roko brand was born. Find out more by visiting the Roka Roko website www.rokaroko.co.za
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