The Process: What Social Media Does Not Teach You About Success

“The world is structured to give us lots of opportunities to feel bad about being wrong if we want to measure ourselves by outcomes. Don’t fall for it! — Annie Duke

You are probably familiar with the phrase, “Fake it till you make it”. On social media, you wouldn’t have to look too hard to find it on display — on the profiles of people who look rich and flaunt glamorous lifestyles, but in reality, they could be just one paycheck from being broke.

Especially on platforms like Instagram, you might find it hard to second guess what is reality by viewing some profiles or reading the narratives behind their posts. More often, we only get to see and hear about big contracts being signed or someone becoming suddenly rich — without much insight about “the process” or what was sacrificed along the way.

“On social media, anyone can be rich, a model, a guru or a success coach.”

But the truth is that every successful outcome usually has a backstory and “a process” raddled with risk, hard work, sacrifices, and failures. And now in the era where social media plays a huge influence on how we view the world, it can be dangerous to ignore “the process” or backstory behind successful outcomes.

“One danger can be that most people tend not to anticipate the price to be paid as part of “the process.”

At some point in time, everyone goes through “A Process”

“Remember, too, that all who succeeded in life get off to a bad start, and pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they “arrive.” — Napoleon Hill

I recently came across MJ Demarco´s book “The Millionaire Fastlane”. In the book, the author referenced the experience of Kelvin Planck who founded Under Armour, the American sports equipment company that manufactures footwear, sports and casual apparel with a revenue of over US$5.27 billion and 16,400 employees globally (2019).

“When Kelvin Plank founded Under Armour in 1996 and took the company public in less than 10 years, the accomplishment made headlines around the world. What didn’t? Subtle facts of the process? Like Planck went broke one year after founding the company. To carry the business forward, he blew through 20,000 dollars in his personal savings and later 40,000 dollars in credit card debt. The billion-dollar “get rich” outcome is the event — the process is the struggle and backstory.”

Finally, when I think about my own experience, I too have found usefulness going through the process. Usually, when I reflect on the challenges that came with some successful outcomes, I am asking myself, what did I learn, what should I do differently in the future? While they are not desirable, I can say that temporary challenges, being wrong, and failing are fundamental parts of a process and the backstory to every successful outcome. Accept them and know peace!