Owning Your Success
Oh sure, you’re successful. Aren’t you?
Success means so many different things to every person. The thing is, most of us headed down the path of “supposed to” and ended up not feeling very successful once we arrived.
So the concept of what success really means begs for a redefinition on a regular basis. That is, when was the last time you really evaluated or re-evaluated your life’s trajectory? We chase after that feeling of “I’ve got this” or “I made it!” and our journey teaches us something… There’s More!
We ache for more!
Feeling dissatisfied with where you are isn’t a bad thing. And, that said, being grateful for what you have is a really good thing. So where’s the balance?
The balance is in recognizing that you can be happy with what you have and still ache to have more, be more, serve more, do more. You can be dissatisfied and grateful at the same time; the feelings are not mutually exclusive.
For example, what constituted success in relationships when you were 19 years old is going to be defined very differently when you are in a relationship at 29, 39, 49, etc. We want different things in terms of support, comfort, and adventure. We want different things from our jobs. Ultimately, we want different things from ourselves.
That’s right! Success depends on what we’re willing to put into our path. The decisions we make today affect our outcomes tomorrow. And what we do to change our situation today based on yesterday’s decisions is completely up to us.
Certainly, as you read this, you have plenty of comforts surrounding you. You have a computer, tablet, and/or phone. You probably have transportation of some sort. And, you likely have a decent place to live.
Being dissatisfied doesn’t mean you don’t appreciate what you have. It means that you’re redefining the level of life that you want.
For Your Consideration (and I recommend this as a journaling exercise): What level of satisfaction, in which area(s) of your life, defines your next level of success? That is, where do you want to improve your life? Personally, I will proudly state that I’m super-happy with where my life is AND… I am currently engaged in a development plan to improve each of the following areas: Personal, Professional, Relationship, Educational, Financial, Spiritual, Health, and Community Involvement.
Really, I feel pretty happy with myself and all I’ve achieved so far. I also ache to Do More, Be More, and Serve More. And I have a plan to make that happen.
I’m planting my seeds today, enjoying the journey of planting those seeds, and eagerly tending to my own garden of growth and development to ensure a positive outcome.
I have coaches and mentors who guide me. While I have confidence and direction, the one key element I lack is perspective. You can’t ask a fish what water is like because (besides the fact that fish don’t talk) they only know the perspective of water. They don’t know not-water. You only know the perspective of the life you’re living. Outside agents of transformation can provide perspective to tweak your trajectory and help you tend to your garden of growth. (Too many analogies? You get the point!)
The bottom line is that you need to be able to take inventory of where you are now. Be grateful for what you have and how you got there. Look ahead to where you want to be. Do your own “gap analysis,” and set a course for attaining your next level of success. And… reach out! You’re not alone; so don’t try to do it alone. Get perspective, guidance, coaching, and advising.
Do some reflecting, and then reach out. Set your sites on stepping into your day with Certainty, Vitality, Daring and Courage. Set your Plan of Action and build your level of Influence. Success comes on your path of Significance. Success is developed by the DynamicLeader®, the person who knows where they are and is willing to take the next step and the next step to get to where they want to be.
Here’s to your Significance! Here’s to your success!
(See www.DynamicLeader.com for more information on programs, processes, and building YOUR success path!)