Achieving vs Improving

Achieving vs. Improving 

By Steve Backlund

I love achieving. I love accomplishing goals. I've achieved a lot of things. Some that stand out:

• Having Wendy say yes to marrying me

• Catching the winning pass in the high school football championship game 

• Pitching a 1-0 shutout against the best pitcher in the high school baseball league

• Writing many books

• Traveling the world

I remember one ministry meeting where the room "blew up" with so much hope and joy. People were so impacted that they rushed the stage and Wendy and I could not finish our speaking session. That was one of the greatest meetings I had ever been in, and another great, external achievement. 

I could mention more, but I want to say this: living for achievement or living for a goal to be accomplished does not bring lasting joy or fulfillment. Why? Because our priorities are in the wrong place. 

Even after that powerful ministry meeting, I remember driving away and thinking, "I'm not living for that”. It is not my main focus or priority, I'm living for improvement in my personal development and getting better every single day. 

Success is not a goal to be attained; it is a state of being. Success is not attained through something happening or getting something. Yes, achievements are great confirmations (they help us know we're on the right track, and I like them), but achievements are not the highest value of my life. 

God’s method of making great leaders and influencers is by making them successful on the inside when they don't look and feel like a success. This is what soul prosperity is all about. 

The Power of Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)

As I speak of these things, I am reminded of a Japanese word: Kaizen. I read a book once that discussed the difference between the American mindset and the Japanese mindset - explaining that Kaizen is a Japanese word meaning "improvement or change for the better". Kaizen is defined as a continuous effort by each and every employee... to ensure that there's continual improvement. The book suggested the American mindset is to build something, work hard at it, step back, admire it, and then move on. The Kaizen mindset is to continue to improve what was built. I really like that.

I have determined to live a life where I am constantly improving. Our Igniting Hope team regularly takes parts of our business and asks, “How can we improve this? How can we do it better?”  As an itinerant minister, I want to improve every part of what I do: the planning, travel, my eating, honoring leaders, asking good questions, planning finances, and how I speak.This isn't about perfectionism. The perfectionist mindset is fixated on what is wrong. The improvement mindset is fixated on what we can make better.

Mindsets Define Our Journey

This leads perfectly into understanding two different mindsets - the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. The fixed mindset says my giftings, abilities, and talents are fixed. I'm either smart at math or I'm not. I either have a gift or I don't. I either can speak well or I can't. People with a fixed mindset worry most about how they will be judged by others. If we think, "I'm not good at this," or "That's who I am," we worry about being judged when we try something. This causes us to bury our talents, shrink back, not take risks, and develop limiting belief systems when things are hard.

The growth mindset, on the other hand, believes I can improve; I can get better. Those with a growth mindset focus most on improving. Think about a toddler learning to walk. If a toddler had a fixed mindset, they would say, "I can't walk because I've never walked. I tried once and it was hard. I fell down.”  But toddlers naturally have a growth mindset. They are our example. 

Those who succeed most also seem to fail most.  Even so, I don't call it failure, but I call it learning. I think, “I'm learning. I’m getting wisdom. I'm improving.”

A fixed mindset creates self-limiting beliefs. When we believe things like the following, we put a cap on what we can become.

• "I'm not good at this," 

• "I can’t do it.”

• “I am not a joyful person.

These feel true, but they are not. With a fixed mindset, we try to achieve something to give ourselves identity, validity, and significance. When setbacks happen, we tend to conclude we are incapable, we lose interest, or we withdraw to protect our ego. Others who observe us think this is a lack of motivation, but it is really a mindset issue.

Even as you read this blog, I believe something is stirring in you. You are a Kaizen person who is constantly improving. You understand your season and know what is really important to focus on. You see setbacks as part of growth. You achieve much but you are more focused on improving. You're improving how to do life, manage your time, approach weaknesses, do relationships, express yourself, and not let anger hinder your favor. You are important in what God is doing.