How do YOU define success?

Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.

-Winston Churchill

 

I love this quote. It's quite a different view of success than a lot of people have. Usually people think if they haven't succeeded, they have failed. This quote completely challenges that way of looking at success and I always love a good challenge of the 'normal' way of thinking.

The definition of success has been one of those 'hot' topics in my coaching lately. Whenever that happens, it's like I notice it all around me so I've been exploring the topic and bringing it up with lots of different people.

For many, it seems that defining success is linked with how much money they are making - and a complete tally of all the assets and things they have in their lives. That is certainly ONE way to define success. Because this is often the view that we're fed by the society we live in, many of you may not realize that there are LOTS of other ways to define success. It could be that success for you is to have meaningful connections in your life, or to live a balanced life or to contribute in your unique way in the world or to create new opportunities for learning & growth. The list is really endless & naturally, success could be a combination of lots of different things.

So my invitation to you this week is to explore YOUR definition of success. What is success for you? Have you felt it at certain times of your life? If so, what exactly did it feel like - how did you know it was success? Another way to tap into this is to look at other people. Maybe you see someone around you who you feel has succeeded in a way that inspires you. Or maybe you can find parts of the lives of a number of people that you see as successful - combining these parts can help you create your own unique definition of success.

Your definition of success might be something that comes to you quickly or it might take a bit of exploration & reflection. Either way it's perfect & just enjoy. Just remember that If you don't know how YOU define success, it will be very difficult for you to know when you get there. And it is actually entirely possible that you're already there & you don't even know it. Hmmm....

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