How Do You Define Success?
“Be the person you decide to be! Your destiny is orchestrated by you…everyone else is your audience.”
What Does Success Look Like To You?
Have you ever heard someone who is over 100 years old share their secret for longevity? The answer varies depending on their personal perspective. Some of those 100-year-olds would say forgiveness and peace are the answer; others choose happiness as their secret and then others share that they have a cigar and a shot of whiskey every day!!!
Is success being financially secure, fulfilling relationships, successful career, having great health, and/or being fulfilled in every area of your life? It is up to you.
Learning how to become successful is a personal process that you’ll need to adapt to reflect your unique values. No one else can do it for you. The more you stay true to what is important to you, that brings life-long fulfillment, the more you can design your own success story. As you lean into what is important to you, you will be drawn closer and closer to your authentic self and the success you’re after.
How do you get there? One way is to start by writing out your vision of what success looks and feels like to you. Your vision will grow, mature, and evolve as you learn and thrive in your “life happens” moments. The simple act of writing it down will shift us from being a passive, laid-back hearer to an active, engaged doer.
Habakkuk 2:2-3 New Century Version (NCV) —The LORD answered me: Write down the vision; write it clearly on clay tablets so whoever reads it can run to tell others. It is not yet time for the message to come true, but that time is coming soon; the message will come true.
Another tool for you to use as you define what success looks like to you…look down the road! Start with the end in mind and work back to where you are today. There will be changes that will occur on this road, but using this concept will help keep you on track as you walk out your defined and designed success path. For instance, if you want a strong family unit around you at the end of your road, then start building those relationships today.
Keep in mind as you start walking on your road to success there will be opportunities to give into fear. Why? The fear of the unknown will try to stop you in your tracks. So, what do you do…step into the fear. As you step into the fear, you will step into your courage. The more you do this and grow through each situation or moment, you will find that the following opportunities will become a little easier because you know how to work through the fear. You start to build upon the courage and success of the previous moments.
Tony Robbins shares, “Success is doing what you want when you want, where you want, with whom you want as much as you want.” It isn't always easy to define something as massive as your purpose in life.
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
KEY LIFE LESSONS
Success Life Lesson #1 Define Core Values
Success Life Lesson #2 Live An Intentional Life
Success Life Lesson #3 Practice a Gratitude Attitude
Success Life Lesson #4 Develop Self-Awareness / Healthy Mindset
Success Life Lesson #5 Follow What Fulfills You
Success Life Lesson #6 Evaluate / Examine Your Failing Forwards
Success Life Lesson #7 Examine / Study Those Who Have Successes
📌What would you add to this list? The above Lessons are a template for you to use to start defining what SUCCESS means to YOU. Your definition of success is designed by YOU.
📌May your defined personal success be long-lasting, manifests the authentic you, feeds your soul, brings daily fulfillment, gives to others, and brings you lasting genuine peace.
❓HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS FOR YOURSELF?
CORE VALUES = PERSONAL SUCCESS
“Dedicate yourself to a core set of values. Without them, you will never be able to find personal fulfillment, and you will never be able to lead effectively.” Kenneth Chenault
As you define what success looks like for you or your team at work, start defining your personal core values. Most companies have core values posted everywhere in the building. They remind the team of the focus and direction of the company. The core values, if followed, keep the company on track to move in the direction of its desired success or mission.
Your core values do the same for you. It’s another tool to use as you define what success looks like. Your personal core values encompass your foundational beliefs, which influence your behavior and help you make decisions. I've heard it said our personal core values operate in the background of our mind to influence our behavior. You need to be intentional when designing your core values because so much depends on them.
Think of your CORE VALUES as your NORTH STAR🌟…your personal compass to point you in the right direction.
❓WHAT ARE YOUR CORE VALUES?
THIS I KNOW….
Your success will take effort. It will take a growth mindset to keep you grounded, growing, and learning as you embark on this path that you have defined and designed called success. Be flexible, but focused. Your “failures” are opportunities to learn from and to move forward from. You won’t know what will work for you until you step out. If you make a mistake, it is okay because now you know what not to do or what to tweak. Turn your “failing forwards” into stepping stones as you create your life filled with success. If one attempt doesn’t work, change your strategy. A willingness to look at things from a different perspective will take you far.
Remember, we all define personal success differently. True personal success has fulfillment threaded all through it. You may want to be financially rich, but if you are not fulfilled with all that money, it won’t matter. Being fulfilled is your success.
Lastly, make this journey of personal success fun. Enjoy the process because you deserve it.
Philippians 1:6 NASB -- For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.
