How can you become more successful in your life, business or as a parent? Before we can answer that question, we must first define success itself. The traditional definition of success is basically the American Dream – work hard to build a career, a marriage, a house, a dog, a white-picket fence and 2.5 children. But that definition fails to honor how we feel in our own lives. There is a new definition of success which expands the idea of success to all areas of life. This new definition of success includes:
- knowing who you are in your most authentic self
- being true to that self
- living a life that is in alignment with your core values
If you adhere to that definition, success in all areas will come together for you.
It is time to turn away from measuring success by your annual income or the number of possessions you have and instead, measure it by the quality of the relationships in your life, with others as well as yourself. To measure your success, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I know who I really am?
- Do I know what is important to me?
- Do I have relationships with people with whom I care deeply and who care about me?
- Am I excited to go to work?
- Does my work bring me joy?
- Am I using my natural talents?
- Do I take time to participate in activities that make me happy?
- Do I make time for adequate self-care?
- Am I contributing to the world in a meaningful way?
- When I find that something is out of balance, do I make minor adjustments along the way?
Americans are beginning to realize that true success has more to do with how satisfied and happy you feel in your life and what you give back than the amount that is in your bank account. I recently read a powerful little book called The GO-GIVER by Bob Burg and John David Mann. In this book, they present their five laws for stratospheric success. They are:
- The Law of Value – Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
- The Law of Compensation – Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
- The Law of Influence – Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
- The Law of Authenticity – The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
- The Law of Receptivity – The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
Today’s young adults are embracing these concepts of success and I believe that they will find much more satisfaction and success than their ancestors as they go through their lives.
So after reading this, how have your ideas about how to become more successful changed?
