Last week I freaked the fuck out. There was sobbing and loads of swear words and my first impulse was to DELETE EVERYTHING AND HIDE.
Why?
Because my beloved podcast Celebrate BRAVE was about to hit 2,000 downloads.
Huh?
Yeah, I was headed into successfully reaching a goal and success intolerance slammed into my soul like the little bastard it is.
What is success intolerance?
In very simple terms, success intolerance is when we just reached or are about to reach a goal and then we start doing stuff that ruins or weakens our success.
Some people call this ‘success-induced self-sabotage.’
For example, when I see that my podcast is about to reach 2,000 unique downloads and my first response is delete it all and hide.
That may seem extreme but think about the times that you’ve:
- been so close to submitting to a conference and then spend so much time ‘perfecting’ the proposal that you miss the submission date
- been so close to creating a powerful mentoring relationship and then ‘get too busy’ to schedule connection calls
- been so close to completing certification and then decide you need ‘more practice’ so don’t schedule the exam
- been so close to a promotion and then start avoiding following up with your manager
- been so close to a significant pay increase and then ask for lower than you want or chose not to negotiate
- been so close to getting an offer from a new employer and then biff your last interview because you aren’t sure you are really ready for a new role
These are all examples of success intolerance showing up in your life and career.
I could give you another 50 about physical goals, health goals, relationship goals, mental health goals, financial goals, and so much more.
Success intolerance is real and we all experience it but we don’t do a great job talking about it.
So when I realized that I was in success intolerance and freaking the fuck out, I decided to take my struggle and share it as an example for you.
I’m sharing this video to role model that success intolerance is real, we all feel it, and that it is all part of building our BRAVE.
Full disclosure: this is the third version of this video and I am super embarrassed to share it with you.
The first video went to Laila Noort, my podcast manager and partner, and is laced with heavy profanity.
The second cut off my head because my hand was shaking so hard and snot was in my nose.
This third one is post-run, a few hours of my freak out feelings hit, and I am somewhat calmer. Somewhat. You’ll still see me tear-up and my body is shaking.
When have you experienced success intolerance?
How did you go through it?
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