How Do You Define Success?

ScottKelby.com

On his blog today, Scott Kelby made a post about our recent visit on The Chat. If you didn’t see that particular episode… you really should! It’s right there on his blog… or right here on mine.

One of My Favorite Questions

One of my favorite questions is the one about “how do you define Success?”. It’s interesting no matter how little or how much “success” a person has had… and it’s a SUPER important question to ask of yourself! The answer to this question is loaded with information. If you ask it of yourself, you learn what’s really important to you, what you will and won’t tolerate, what sorts of tired old worries or concerns you can finally let go of… and what thrills you so much you leap out of bed in the morning, stoked to do more of it! It helps define what to spend time, energy and resources on now that’ll take you down the road of your own choosing. Choice is key!

If you’re a curious sort like me; passionate and committed to creating a life-worth-living, you genuinely want to know how people you admire approach this answer. I just never get tired to hearing it! It’s always completely unique to that person and likewise, tells me so much about them. Plus, it always gives me so much to reflect upon, as I continue to consider what I want to stand for and be about in my life.

I asked Scott Kelby this question… and divided it down into two areas: Business and Personal.

Here’s how he answered the one about Business:

What Successful People Consistently DON’T Claim…

Here’s what I find fascinating: every truly successful person I’ve ever talked to NEVER says “Money” is the primary definition of their success. It’s an important part, any would agree. But deep and soul-satisfying “Success” is so much more encompassing. Money by itself is a commodity, like a shirt or a pair of shoes.  Necessary, yes. And by itself, even cool for awhile… but then what? No one I’ve met in my life who has made or received huge load of money (and I’ve known a few actual gazillionaires) has said that “money” was the defining factor their success or happiness. Not once.

What it DID do for them was to allow them to continue doing the work that is most important to them… and that, most all agreed, was one of the real values.

Definitions Evolve Over Time

My own definition of Success continues to change and evolve over time. Certainly financial success is part of the equation; but I’ve had money and I’ve been completely broke. Neither one altered who I truly am. So, written into my own Terms of Success are things like; how and what I want to feel, the contribution I want to make, satisfaction I want to experience, the love and laughter I want to feel, the people that I want around me, the relationships I have and want to have, yes the wealth I want to build, the talents I want to use to express all of the above… and about a million other enriching, defining visions I have about what I consider to be my Most Successful Life.

So, how about you? At the end of the day, what 5 things will have happened that tell you in no uncertain terms that YOU’VE been a success?
You know how I love that question. 😀