A succession plan is smart, even if you haven’t started on your endeavor yet.
Like any plan, a succession plan is never truly set in stone. However, having one does two things.
1) It gets you in the mindset of success.
2) It makes it easier to stick to your decision of how to handle your success once you’re there.
Many are driven crazy once they’ve achieved what they set out to. Why? Because they’ve built a tribe that’s leaning on them.
Throughout your journey, you’re growing a following of people who expect you to act a certain way. You owe it to them to live to their expectations, not your in-the-moment, unplanned, selfish wants once you’ve reached your destination, right?
Do you sell your company to a conglomerate who you fought against to get started? Do you use funds to build more of what you’ve created or scrap it to start something entirely new? Would you plan to donate a percentage of profits after you meet a threshold? Would you give it all away for free?
It’s worth ruminating on what you’ll do if you succeed in the change you’re trying to make.
You may think what you’re creating now is your legacy, but more likely, it’ll be what you do with what you’ve succeeded at that makes all the difference.
Stay Positive & You Do Plan To Succeed, Right?
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Do you really think you owe it to people to act a certain way?
I feel like you owe it to yourself to act in a way that serves what you want. Maybe that’s selfish but acting a certain way because you think that’s what’s expected of you will not help you in the long run…and it won’t help your followers because you aren’t being true to yourself.
No, you shouldn’t change your direction because of an in-the-moment sparkly object, but maybe it’s worth a second look because if it’s catching your attention then maybe it would be a new direction your followers would be interested in too. Yes, they’re leaning on you…but that doesn’t mean you can’t explore different paths to go beyond your planned destination.
I know I’m picking at a small portion of this post and it’s not even the main point…but it’s what jumped out at me. A person should never feel like they have to live up to another’s expectations. We have the right to change. Change ideas, change paths, change destinations, and even change the definition of success. And in that change some of the followers will change too…and you might even gain a few new followers.
And with that, it’s time to create a new succession plan…because what do ya know, my route has changed. I hope my followers come with me to learn and grow on a different path to success and are happy that I didn’t continue on the same path just because that’s what they expected me to do.
Consider why you set out to do something in the first place. Deep down, it was for others. It’s the satisfaction you want to feel for contributing to something larger than yourself, to a community, to others. Simon Sinek has a great book on finding your why and the phrasing for your life’s why follows To _____ so that _____. It’s the so-that part that is selfless. So even when you act on what you want, it’s to ultimately to serve someone else.
To your point about changing direction, by all means, do so when appropriate. I’m writing more about the plans we make for after we reach our goal, not on the way to it.
I like your idea about those who seek a similar path change, though. Because how true is it that we’re all simply trying on different shoes to see what fits.