I was fortunate to learn the importance of resiliency early in life, and I shared some thoughts about it in a previous post. Today, I want to discuss the importance of endurance, which is equally crucial, especially during the most challenging of times.
Before launching Freedom Mortgage, I tried out a few different ventures from opening a restaurant to selling life insurance. When I didn’t find immediate success, it was easy to mope and place the blame on others, society, or even bad luck. Instead I kept it in check and quickly moved on to my next venture. I knew I had to believe in myself and push forward, no matter the outcome.
Here are a few things I learned along the way.
1. Success is a process
Success is subjective because everyone’s definition of success differs. For some, it could be owning a home and a car, while for others, it’s raising your children to be healthy productive adults. Regardless, success is a process, and it may take years before you achieve it.
Above all else, taking care of your health during the journey is essential. This will ensure you have the strength that’s needed to motivate yourself to keep going, to pivot as needed, and to keep stress at bay.
2. Be confident
You need to believe in yourself. Period. Even if you are too tired to keep moving, you must push through. You of all people cannot lose confidence in your very own abilities, especially when times are challenging. Instead of giving up, you must move onward and upward. This sign on my desk with the following message keeps me going: "Proceed as if success is inevitable."
3. Stay in the moment, but look to the future
When growing a business, leaders often start planning and focusing on the future and what’s to come. That is key, and you need to anticipate what vectors may directly or indirectly affect your business. However, it’s equally important to stay in the moment to ensure you have the right team and resources to provide the optimal customer experience when providing your services or products. You must do both.
During previous recessions, I steered my team to do what we needed to stay afloat while simultaneously chartered a path of growth. Had we only focused on one or the other, we wouldn’t be here 30 years later.
4. Cultivate your mindset
Cultivating your mindset is different from being confident. When you cultivate your mindset, you are developing it, so you do not panic, but instead remain calm especially during a crisis.
I think these four areas can help you to build resilience and endurance. The two go hand in hand. Without endurance, you won’t have the energy to start something new. I credit both resilience and endurance for the tremendous growth Freedom Mortgage has experienced over the past three decades.
They are why we have been able to continue to help consumers obtain the dream of homeownership, and why we were recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the country’s fastest growing companies.
No matter what your idea of success is, you’re going to encounter obstacles on the way to achieving it. By focusing on the four lessons listed above, you will find ways to overcome your challenges until success is not a matter of if, but when.
Stanley C. Middleman
CEO President
Freedom Mortgage Corporation
