Success is Yours

Are you enslaved to "success"? Or, do you master success?

Can you unravel the riddle?

Your definition of "success" identifies your values. Some of the ways of defining success may startle you and get you to thinking more reflectively, and this post will have done its job.

Some things on your success list will be there out of necessity (eating, drinking, breathing, a place to lay your head and the cash-flow to accomplish that competently), or out of a desire for reputation in career or vocation.

Identify when you are most happy and productive. What is at the root of that? Is it life affirming? Does it increase your connectedness with the world? How can you increase that?

What are the most unhappy and least productive times? What is at the root of it? How can you modify your behaviour to minimize the bleed on your quality time quotient?

I was playing Dragon Chess the other day and I knew that my skill level would not enable me to "win" so I decided that I had success if I stayed in the game for a while and when I captured his final bishop because he relyed heavily on his bishops. I created four satisfaction points:

1. the pleasure of the opponent's company
2. a chance to learn more chess skill
3. the satisfaction of being good enough to be an interesting challenge to my opponent
4. the immense gratification of what I decided to be my win: the capture of his bishop.

So don't set yourself up for the failure mentality:

• move on when a situation is no longer productive or positive,
• have satisfaction points on the job,
• enjoy the present,
• express your creativity,
• fulfill your potential,
• own your self-esteem separate from your career,
• be authentic,
• base choices on thoughtful values,
• carefully money manage,
• don't feel envious of others,
• be spiritually present,
• have fun outside work context,
• spend time with people you cherish and enjoy,
• take good care of yourself with exercise and proper nutrition,
• understand when to fight for something and when to give in.

What is success to you? Does how you appoach your success goal create balance in your life? Where is "success" a challenge to you?

Questions, questions! The answers will help set you free.