Defining & Achieving YOUR Success

I am convinced that one of the most powerful and (often over-looked) keys to success is to slow down and focus. High achievers keep things "simple." Not easy or lazy, but uncomplicated. So it's only fair to acknowledge when I fail to keep my own "rules."

I love my work, and I'm grateful for the chance. But it's not "free." There are "costs" to success and we have to decide which costs we prefer to pay. As the old saying goes, "there is no free lunch."

The thing is, we pay even bigger costs whenever we achieve less than we are capable of. If we play "small" or "safe," we never find out if we could have "played in the big leagues." If we don't "go for it" we make less money, have less influence, get less applause. And, if we believe we were born to play a "bigger game," playing in the "minor leagues" gradually destroys our self-esteem and confidence. Never "settle for less" than you truly want in life! Go for the BEST!

But don't kid yourself that "success" is free. I'm convinced millions of us are defining success on someone else's terms and trying to live a life that does not represent our personal values.

Remember the Biblical story of Judas? He betrayed Jesus and got the 30 pieces of silver. Then according to the Bible, he went and hung himself.. He got the money but lost his life.

Some of us are trading our lives for some form of "silver." We're striving to climb the corporate ladder not because it represents our passion, but because someone told us we "should." Some of us are selling products we don't believe in, or working for companies whose values we don't respect.
I've always felt that true, long-term success is about living our lives on our own terms, achieving things that are important to us and helpful to others. Success is about stretching our limits, and occasionally going too far, falling on our face, and picking ourselves up to try again. Certainly, success is about having fun and using every bit of our time and energy to do useful things.

If that includes flying to distant cities, staying in nice hotels and making a ton of money, fantastic! Go for it! Thousands of people have the gifts and desire to do that, and it can be fun. For others, however, success comes in very different forms and it is not for any us to judge the "success" of someone else. I think it is an ordinary adult obligation, however, to periodically assess our own success and make whatever adjustments are appropriate. If you are not as successful as you would like, change that! Here's to YOUR success, on your own terms.

Copyright (c) 2006, all rights reserved. U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: 1529-059X You may copy, forward or distribute TIP's if this copyright notice and full information for contacting Dr Philip E. Humbert are included. Contact him at:www.philiphumbert.com  or email to  blocked::mailto:Coach@philiphumbert.com