You never own success; you only borrow it. Engrain this concept in your head as it will aid in your LONG-TERM success as a nurse practitioner entrepreneur.

So, what does this phrase mean anyways?

It means that success is only a TRANSIENT thing. It is never PERMANENT. You cannot deposit your success in the bank and expect it to be there indefinitely. Your success is only borrowed for a short period of time unless you put the necessary work in to repay that success so you can continue borrowing it.

I am sure many of you are lost now.

Let me explain.

Once you become successful, it does not mean you will ALWAYS be successful (owned).

Why? Because someone smarter, more ambitious, and a harder worker than you is ALWAYS around the corner working to take your success (borrowed) if you become complacent.

You need to ALWAYS be hustling. You need to ALWAYS be working on yourself. You need to ALWAYS be learning new skills and staying ahead of the curve. You need to ALWAYS be networking with other like minded people.

Remember, your success is just borrowed for a short period of time. It is not given to you. You do not own it. You are simply successful for a period of time and it WILL be taken away from you unless you work at keeping it.

Far too many entrepreneurs and businesses fail because they become complacent with their success. They EXPECT to remain successful just “because they are.” Well, that is true for a short period of time. Once you hit a certain level of success, it can stick around for a little while (borrowed), but it will eventually taper off if the work is not put into it to keep the momentum going. You must ALWAYS be hustling. Never become content.

Think of other businesses that have failed because they just expected their success to stick around. They thought they owned it…

Kodak…

Blockbuster…

Xerox…

Nokia…

Think of businesses in just the past YEAR that have failed because they did not account for change with COVID. They just thought their success would carry them through. This includes restaurants, gyms, retail stores, and even MEDICAL PRACTICES.

They didn’t own their success; they were simply borrowing it…

Granted, many of these closures were out of the hands of the business owner, BUT they could have still hustled to prevent it from happening.

Restaurants that are THRIVING now are the ones that implemented delivery services early on in the pandemic.

Gyms that are THRIVING now are the ones that went virtual, had Zoom exercise sessions, and became creative with outdoor workouts.

Retail stores that are THRIVING now are the ones that moved their sales platform online as soon as they possibly could.

The medical practices that are THRIVING are the ones that implemented early COVID testing, telemedicine visits, niche service lines, and mobile services.

The businesses that are THRIVING are the ones that KNEW that their success was only being borrowed. They knew they had to put the work in to keep that success!

If I had not integrated telemedicine services into my men’s health practice at the start of the pandemic, there is no question in my mind my revenue would be lower than what it is. I know my men’s health practices success is only temporary. The only way for it to continue to borrow success is by innovation and hard work.

If I decided to never create another course, not publish our membership program, or write another article for The Elite Nurse Practitioner, its success would eventually fade. I do not own the success of this site… Think of those blogs you go to where a new article has not been written in over 2 years. Chances are, you do not stay on it long. They are not getting new email subscribers and continuing to grow. Their success faded; it was only borrowed.

If you are feeling successful in your life right now, I want you to step back and ask yourself these 3 questions so you can continue to borrow that success:

1. What makes my business/career successful?
2. How can I keep my business innovative and fresh?
3. What can I do to continue to grow personally and professionally?

If you are just getting started in your entrepreneurial journey or even as a nurse practitioner, I want you to ask the following 2 questions so you can begin to borrow that success:

1. What can I create or do that separates me from the herd? You are on the ELITE NP after all. Our market is saturated folks…
2. How will I integrate that answer into my life so I can turn an idea into ACTION?

You need to ALWAYS stay on your A-GAME if you want to grow. You can NEVER become content with your business and professional life if you desire long term success and financial freedom. You must ALWAYS be hustling and accounting for change.

Your success in life is NEVER OWNED! It is only borrowed….