Define Success. It can mean different things to different people. One man may be totally content with a job and raising a family, another may desire to achieve in the business community, while a third one is looking for sporting greatness.
So lets look at two definitions of success.
We’re sure you’re familiar with the first definition of success – it’s the classic.
Success is accomplishing something you set out to do.
Can you see the power in this simple definition? It focuses on a tangible result. You can see it. You can announce it to the world, and everyone knows whether or not you did it. That’s the strength of this definition.
However, it does have a weakness. We may accomplish a lot in the short-term, but the overriding question is:
Are these accomplishments taking us in the right direction?
We may be the victims of speed without direction! We’re moving fast, but not in the direction we really intend to go. Now, that’s a serious problem. Picture it – the faster we go, the harder we work, the further we get from our desired destination. That might be where the old saying comes from,
“No one every wished they spent more time at the office, when they are on their death bed.”
We end up frustrated, burned out, tired, stressed, unhappy, and unfulfilled. Even though we may be achieving a lot of great things in your life.
That’s why we like a second definition of success. You may not be familiar with this one. In his book, They Call Me CoachJohn Wooden, UCLA’s great coach/teacher/author, defined success this way:
“Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best
to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
So Wooden’s definition focuses on the long-term you that you want to be. What do you think, is this a more achievable to attain statement, than the first definition?
You want peace of mind, right? Freedom from panic, from fear, from anxiety, from worry, from stress? You want harmony, contentment, happiness, fulfillment. Ah, such lovely words. We all want these feelings, don’t we?
We think this definition is the best we’ve seen. It begins with the end in mind, as Steven Covey said in his great book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
You’ve may have read it (you should if you haven’t). Even if you have, it deserves another look.
No matter which definition that you prefer, it is clear that Success is dependant upon the level of commitment that you put towards achieving whatever it is that is important to you. So commit to being Great. It’s your Destiny.
