I remember walking up to the base of a climb in Yosemite a few years ago and feeling anxious and nervous. Questions swirled around my head in unison with the building clouds and winds: can I climb this? What will happen if we get half way up the wall and can’t finish the climb? Will I let my partner down? Will I get hurt? All of these questions and anxieties came from one thought and feeling: I had never done this climb before.
My climbing partner looked at me and gently said: ‘Matt, the wall doesn’t care about your resume.” I stopped my fidgeting and looked back at him and nodded my head in agreement - game on. He was right. The mountain doesn’t care about my resume, true my resume has allowed me to learn certain things and gain experience, but it does not define the outcome of the climb.
Running a business is exactly the same. When engaged in running a business your resume is not the primary qualifier and the business outcome doesn’t care about your resume. The outcome and your success is as much determined by your aspiration, belief, and desire. Your resume is a very limited perspective on your talents, abilities, and potential outcomes - and it is based on past accomplishments.
Your business doesn’t care about your resume. Your business cares about the work, intention, commitment, and compassion you bring to it.
Back to Yosemite for a moment - that climb is one of the sweetest memories I have of climbing in Yosemite. Why? Because I shed that anxiety of “what if” storytelling and focused on being present with the climb. The outcome was determined by my performance, focus, drive, and teamwork with my partner - not my resume. And your business success will be determined by the same factors.
See you out there!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Your post is a great reminder of the importance of being in the moment.
Too often we can get sidelined by the burdens of the past or fears of the future, instead of stepping up in the present. Instead of trying to prove ourselves with a resume showing what we’ve already accomplished or by boasting about future goals, we can take action and make it happen.
Thanks for the reminder to stay confident and grounded in my highest intention in everything I do. I don’t have my own business (yet!), but your words inspire success in my current workplace environment. True we can build on where we’ve been, but this should never limit our dreams about where we want to be. Thanks, Matt!
When I started my training company a little over two years ago, I definitely had to get over the “resume” hurdle, because I was often talking with colleagues and clients with many years of industry experience, masters degrees, etc.
I had to shift my perspective from thinking “I don’t bring anything to the table because I lack experience,” to “I can get this challenging project done and do it well. I’m willing to go the extra mile to learn what I need to learn to make a difference for this client.”
It’s not an easy shift to make and sometimes I still fall into that “not good enough” mode, but the successes I’ve had remind me that the “resume” doesn’t matter as much as my attitude and willingness to learn.
How true your words ring Matt. I am reminded by this post that most limits are self-imposed. When you believe in yourself, your business, and your vision, success follows naturally!