YOU Are The GOAT

Nobody in the history of mankind — past, present or future — will be as good as you at being you. – Cory Wong, Companion Pass

Everyday there is a new debate over who is the Greatest of All Time (the GOAT) in any arena. My personal favorite is the current three-way race in men’s tennis: who will end their career with the most slams, Federer (20), Nadal (19), Djokovic (17)? Should longevity count? How about court surface? Charitable work? Do slams even matter?

Not a tennis fan? How about these GOAT debates?

• LeBron or Jordan?
• The Shawshank Redemption or Casablanca?
• Beatles or Stones?
• Coke or Pepsi?
• Smooth or chunky?

We love GOAT debates for the very fact that they are unresolvable. It’s fun to debate something with no correct answer. None of us can agree on the definitions of what a GOAT really is.

But unresolvable debates and unclear goals don’t work when it comes to your success and happiness. Many of the leaders I work with are trapped in endless GOAT races. They think, “if I’m not the best at something, then I’m nothing.” Best at what? Too many entrepreneurs have allowed others – their investors, their competitors, their mentors or even their parents – to define success for them. If someone else defines your vision of success, you’ll never be successful because they can and will change the definition for you down the road.

The need for acceptance and recognition is a need so human, so basic, so unavoidable that if you didn’t worry about acceptance I would worry you might be a sociopath. But seeking acceptance too often generates an endless loop of meaningless comparisons and soul-sucking compromises. We can never measure up because someone else’s measurement is a pale substitute for our own self worth. That deep yearning for acceptance can only be fulfilled when you accept yourself. Resting your identity on external validations only leads to more yearning, not less.

You Are Already The GOAT

I’m here to tell you that you can only be The GOAT one way in life, and you’ve already succeeded.

You are The GOAT of being you.

I know you face hundreds of other competitors who make similar software. But no one has your humor and empathy. I know there are sales people out there with bigger commissions. But no one cares as much as you do about your customers’ kids’ band concerts. I know that other home developers are selling more units. But you are also providing families with stories of craftsmanship that will be passed down for generations. You may feel awash in a sea of smooth peanut butter buyers, but there are plenty of people who want your organic chunky macadamia nut butter and their lives are better because you took the care to create it.

You are The GOAT of being you.

But Matt, what if I don’t sell enough this quarter? You need to move your motivations way out beyond money a dig deep to align your actions with your values. What if I’m not smart enough? The world’s graveyards are filled with smart people who never took the first step toward success. What if I’m too young, too old, too introverted, too boisterous, too technical, too simple, too boring, too cutting-edge? You are the only person who has the exact mix of qualities many others are looking for right now.

You are The GOAT of being you.

“I know tennis is bigger than any player that ever lived and that I was part of it is plenty for me.” – Roger Federer

I help companies achieve and sustain remarkable growth through a system I developed through working with hundreds of companies and analyzing the five disciplines they need to succeed. Schedule a free consultation today.