Most people would agree with this statement.
“I want to be successful.”
Of course there’s a broad acceptance that earning high income, affording a luxurious lifestyle and living in that upper class appears successful. You made it. You’re there.
True, this is how success is defined as, “the attainment of popularity or profit.”
But I would argue that most people really want to attain the other piece of definition of success:
“The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.”
I know many entrepreneurs who desire, certainly, to have a stable income and a healthy business. The part where we start to get lost in the race is when we don’t create a clear definition for the other ways success is defined in our lives. So, while we’re chasing dollars, we are also achieving these other great things … and we don’t always feel accomplished, despite that being the truth.
And when we are blinding our success with a need to close customers, increase profits, grow a business – we’re actually hindering our ability to do all that.
Burn out, anyone?
So, here are my three quick tips on purposefully realizing your success to help entrepreneurs experience motivation, inspiration and fulfillment in everyday life.
- Make a list of three things you’ve accomplished. Big or small – doesn’t matter – the qualifying factor is whether completing these things on your list made you feel good. Did you smile? Feel satisfied? Awesome. Recognize it. Give yourself credit for success.
- Find ways to make “little things” important. Spending 5 minutes fully immersed in play with your children before leaving for work. Making a point to call a good friend each week. Connecting with your spouse for regular date nights. These are all important to our happiness, and that satisfaction will help us thrive as we pursue other areas of our success definition.
- Why are you pursuing the work you do? What about it makes you thrive? Can you provide an examples where you are making this happen? Yes? Good. And, going back to the concept of little things – make sure you’re not just looking at the end game. There are steps required within a business to make that endgame happen, and each action is a step forward. This is your success.
