Are You Really Winning?

How many X factor winners can you name? I’m going to give you 10 seconds to have a think. How many have you got?..

If you’re new to the podcast, you might have spent the 10 seconds frantically and confusedly looking through your phone or computer to see what podcast you accidentally clicked on. If you’ve joined us before you might be confused by the change in direction we’ve taken. Maybe you were expecting to tune in to a podcast that is discussing balanced living in a complex world. Perhaps you are seeking advice and support from a fellow business person who is looking to achieve results but striving to avoid burning out. Instead, you got asked to name X factor winners... And I bet you were rubbish at it.

Ok. Another question. What if I asked you to name artists whose careers have spanned more than 20 years. The musical greats if you will. Go one, I’ll give you another 10 seconds…

Who have you got? Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Springsteen, Bowie, Madonna?...And how many? Whatever your number is I am sure it is higher for my second question than my first... 

We are not going to dwell on musicians in this episode because 1) we don’t have the rights to use any of their songs and are already possibly in dangerous territory and 2) they are not the entire subject of today's episode… In today’s episode we are going to be asking a big, complex question. Even bigger than “how many X factor contestants can you name?” I hear you ask? Yes. Much bigger than that. 

My name is Andrew Sillitoe, this is The Andrew Sillitoe Show and today I am going to be asking “Are you really winning?” 

“It’s not about the winning, it’s the taking part that counts.” This phrase is repeated by every compassionate supporter of someone who is, to use an unfair turn of phrase, a loser. Now listen, if you, like me, have ever been on the receiving end of such a comment you will know that it tends to be as soothing as a handful of salt to the wound you’ve just been left with. The only thing left to do is rub it in…

But even the winners, the people who come in first, the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote, still might not have won the whole race… So what does winning really look like, and how willing are we to challenge our preconceived ideas? In this episode I’m interested in exploring what winning really means to us, and what it really should mean.. Winning in business is often an unachievable, impossible goal, an ever moving target that is asking us to hit the bull’s eye, then as soon as you do, do it again and if you don’t, you have to put down your bow and arrow and to conclude this archer based metaphor, hang up your Robin Hood hat and vow never to return to Sherwood Forest again… 

The feeling that “everyone else is doing better than me” is a common and understandable one. I felt it often. I still feel it. I feel it when I turn on the tv and see actors that look like they’ve been hand crafted by angels. I see it when I engage with social media, people celebrating their achievements that range from buying their dream home to mastering a full English breakfast. I feel it in business when I see the end of year figures that make my eyes water… If you, like me, feel like you are not really but I think it is time we talk about what winning looks like and more importantly what it feels like. 

I’m going to tell you a quick story about a time that I felt I had lost. 

 winning, you are not alone... So listen in!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.