How do you define success?
Would you consider yourself successful?
Most people define success as
achieving some preconceived, future
condition in their lives.
If I can raise my children to
be happy and confident adults, then
I will be successful. Or
when I make $100,000 a year, I will
be a success. The
problem with defining success based
on an impending outcome is that by the
time you reach "success", you have formed
a new perception of what success means
to you. And you have
missed the thousands of "successful"
moments in your life while trying to
achieve that condition you call "success".
Success is not a destination - it is
a journey. What if
success meant being happy and content
with your current state of being?
This definition requires us to
look at our personal desires and values
- those things that are important to
us. Brian Tracy,
author of Maximum Achievement, identifies
six requirements for success.
These requirements are peace
of mind, good health and a high level
of energy, loving relationships, financial
freedom, commitment to worthy goals
and ideals, and a feeling of personal
fulfillment or self-actualization.
If you take a close look at each
of these items, they are all about who
you are, not what you do.
It is healthier to develop a three dimensional
view of success:
1.
Be the
best you can be
2.
Create
an action plan for what you want in
the future
3.
Enjoy
all that life has to offer right now
Let's compare the old definition of
success with the new one.
Using the old definition of success,
my coaching practice will be considered
successful when I have a full practice,
I am making six figures, and I am in
high demand for speaking.
I will purchase all the right
tools to market my business, and model
myself after all the experts.
Sounds pretty empty, doesn't
it?
The new definition of success would
say that I am successful if I like who
I am as a coach. If
I have satisfying and rewarding coaching
relationships with clients that I love,
then I am successful. If
I have a vision of what my coaching
practice looks like in the future, and
have a plan in place to get there, then
I am successful. Because
I love what I do, I am successful.
This means I am successful now,
and will continue to be successful as
long as I am content. And
if for some reason my state of contentment
should change, I need to ask myself
what I need to change about me
to bring about happiness and success.
Now, ask yourself if you are successful?
Do you have peace of mind and
good health? Are
you enjoying loving relationships in
your life? Do you
have enough money to minimize your worries?
Does your life have meaning and
purpose, and are you committed to becoming
everything you are capable of becoming?
If you answered yes to these
questions, then you are successful.
If you answered no to any of
these questions, then what do you need
to change about you to achieve personal
contentment? Look
at your thoughts, feelings, desires,
actions, dreams, habits and personality
characteristics. You
have everything you need inside of you
to be a raving success!
