Clarifying Your Meaning of Success

The meaning of success can mean different things to different people. For some it might mean having a fulfilling career. For others, it might mean finding love in a soul mate. But many people have the experience of chasing after a long sought-after goal, only to realize that it isn't as fulfilling as they expected it to be. Or else they complete a goal only to find that their desires have shifted and are now focused on something else. Goals can be elusive if they are only enjoyed at some imaginary future point.

Many people erroneously think in "if only" terms - meaning "if only" they would land that coveted promotion for example, then they could finally be satisfied. The goal is the end result and has nothing to do with the journey or satisfaction and enjoyment they get along the way. Life goes on along with its challenges, conflicts and joys no matter whether you have accomplished your goals or not. The destination is not what you may think it is.

Where Does Your Meaning Come From?

The society or culture we live in is also a big influence on how we perceive success. Many people never delve very deeply into questioning what would truly enhance their meaning of life. Do you really want to try to find fulfillment or meaning from having something you saw or felt in an advertisement? Stop, and question what you really want out of your life.

A Metaphor for Life

The meaning of success is closely related to how you view your life purpose in general. Your meaning of success is defined by the context you see in life as a whole. One way to help define your own meaning of success is to look at the answer to this question: "What is your one or two word metaphor for life?" Is it an adventure, a lesson, a test, a game etc.? You may have seen an old bumper sticker that read "Whoever dies with the most toys wins." I sincerely question the truth of that statement, but it is an example of a metaphor for life that says a lot about the beliefs and meaning that some people hold. The metaphor you pick can tell you a lot about how you view the meaning of life as a whole too. Your meaning of success and how to accomplish it can best be interpreted in that light.

For instance, if you picked the metaphor of seeing life as a dance, your meaning of success might have a lot to do with the relationships you embrace, how well you float from project to project at work, or how well you "lead" or "follow". Or perhaps you see your metaphor for life more as a dance competition, where your meaning of success drives you to be more graceful and agile than the others around you.

The important point is that you have clarity and perspective to create your own unique meaning of success as an ongoing and unending process. The following exercise is an effective method I created for improving your clarity and perspective.

5 Steps for Creating Your Own Meaning of Success:

1. Take time to write down what you would like to achieve over the next 5 years. What would your ideal life look like at that time?
2. From your ideal life scenario, create a short list of goals you would need to achieve in order for the ideal scenario to happen.
3. Prioritize the list of goals from 1-5 with 1 being "absolutely must" be, do or have accomplished to 5 being "wouldn't it be nice" to be, do or have accomplished.
4. Look closer at the category one goals. Determine what they are really providing for you. For instance, if one of your goals is that you absolutely must have financial freedom, examine why that is so important to you. Is it the security? Is it the reduction of stress? Is it the prestige?
5. Imagine 5 other ways you can create the same feeling (from step 4) within yourself right now or in the immediate future. For example, "I could reduce my stress right now by spending 5 minutes playing with my dog."

Congratulations - you just achieved the MEANING of success by FEELING what you have been wanting. Creating the feeling within yourself of actually accomplishing the goal prepares you to be, do or have the very things you want. That doesn't mean you won't continue to work toward those goal settings you listed in step 2. Think of the feelings you create as the first step in visualizing the accomplishment of your goals. Another step you could take would be to create a vision board. And don't forget the part that we emphasize so much throughout Inspiring-Self-Improvement.com - use inspired action to accomplish your goals. It's supposed to be fun, not forced. You'll feel better, and enjoy the unfolding joy of the journey along the way.