This powerful concept (mindset) has changed how I work and pursue success in all areas of my life. It can not only change your career, but it can also change your relationships if you consistently apply it effectively.
If you aim to offer value instead of taking value, people will be naturally drawn to. You will attract more people if you provide them with an immense amount of value.
When it comes to money and wealth, the only way to become richer is to create more value for others. In his book, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success, Adam Grant says “The more I help out, the more successful I become. But I measure success in what it has done for the people around me. That is the real accolade.”
Success not just about building your reputation; it really is about giving your best without holding back. Doing the best you can to change someone’s life.
Grant writes, “This is what I find most magnetic about successful givers: they get to the top without cutting others down, finding ways of expanding the pie that benefit themselves and the people around them. Whereas success is zero-sum in a group of takers, in groups of givers, it may be true that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”
We are all seeking to achieve success in life and career. And success means different things for everyone. Regardless of what success we pursue, it drives and preoccupy us and can sometimes cloud the journey to that ultimate goal.
What you do, and the people you impact on your way to the top can change everything. The complete emphasis on success can have a diminishing return.
Success takes longer than we expect or plan. The process can be draining, hence the need to move the emphasis from success itself to offering value, which ultimately brings the success you crave.
Creating and offering value has a trifold return. And it doesn’t’ end there. It’s also one of the best ways to improve and motivate yourself.
There’s nothing wrong with pursuing success, but it’s easy to lose sight of who you if you want it so bad.
Going after success by any means necessary can backfire. People will see through you, and you will lose your audience, followers, or customers in the long-term if you don’t care about making a real impact.
When you focus on yourself, it repels people. As some point in your career, they will dismiss or ignore you, especially when they get frustrated.
Becoming a person of value is the ultimate career investment
“Try not to become a person of success but a person of value.” — Albert Einstein
If you find yourself blinded by the hunt for success, remember to focus on providing real value. It’s a lot harder to practice, but your long-term success depends on it.
Your long-term goal should be to create relationships and provide a sense of fulfilment. It’s the most practical way to long-term success.
More success is attributed to those who contribute value to others than those seek their own glory, says Ngaire Clare.
She writes, “When others in your space know you and know the value you’ve already provided you with, they trust you, your brand your service or your product. They want to engage with and support you in your work, in the same way, you have supported them in theirs.”
Offering value is a is a much better way to approach success and your relationships with others, whether they are exchanging money for it or not.
Providing value means becoming a creator instead of a consumer. Creating value is one of the secrets to a happy life. I don’t know about you — but I am happiest when I am stuck in the “flow” of creating and sharing value.
The only way I’ve become happier is to create more value for others. To be more useful to others. There’s something satisfying about making a difference in someone else’s life.
Brett & Kate McKay of The Art of Manliness explains — “…when you create instead of consume, your capacity for pleasure increases, as opposed to your need for it. Being a creator gives you far more lasting and deeply satisfying happiness than consuming ever will.”
Medium has made in insanely easy for us to provide value and change lives. Choose to use it. Add your voice. Someone can benefit from your opinion. Share what you know. The world needs you to make an impact in your own way. There is value in helping others improve or do better.
In your career, if you focus on adding value to your company or helping the company succeed, you are more likely to be noticed and considered for a raise or promotion. But if you care about just your paychecks, you probably won’t progress beyond where you’re at. When you focus on value, you become driven to create and provide more value for others.
“If you always think about how to make more money — you get distracted. You think of how to “optimize” profits, rather than to add new value. The only way to create new wealth (for everyone) is to create more value,” says Eric Kim.
When you provide value to others, your success grows organically because people seek more from you, talk about you to others, and share you amazing resources with their connections. By striving for value, you’ll be successful no matter where your journey takes you.
Don’t be someone that just takes, but rather be someone that gives. Something amazing that happens when givers succeed: it spreads and attracts even more people. Start seeing yourself as a giver. Be a person of value.
When in doubt, create more value for others. If you are not sure where to begin, seek to add value to yourself. Improve your skills. Help yourself first, then figure out how you can create value for others.
I hope this simple approach to success makes sense to you.
If you change your mindset from taking value to offering value, your results will transform all areas of your life.
Originally published on Medium.
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