How do you define SUCCESS? Would those around you say you are successful? We often compare ourselves to others, and to a standard, that the world defines as being a success – but is that how YOU really see success?
Zig Ziglar said you need to know where you are to know what you should do next. Most people don’t take the time to evaluate where they are, but they keep pushing forward with all they have without really knowing where they are going. This often leads people to lose a balance between their work and their personal lives.
No one EVER laid on their death-bed and said, “I wish I worked more hours” or “I wish my company was bigger.” However, I know of many people who died with regrets on how they lived their lives, and the things they passed over to get “success.”
It is important to be the best we can be in the pursuit of excellence. However, excellence requires a balance and focus on the things that really matter to you, and not just what everyone else is doing, or what others think you should do. Being excellent requires you have a clear vision and mission in mind as you work hard to achieve your goals.
Often, we as leaders lose sight of what we really want, and although we are making great progress, we are not achieving the very dreams and goals that got us started in the first place.
How to stay on course toward real success:
- Define Success – write it down, share it with others you trust, and get their feedback. Let them challenge you to see if this is really what you want out of life, and see if your definition holds up in the light of scrutiny. Make sure you are setting down a path you are willing to live with over a long haul.
- Set Goals to Achieve this – write out a plan for your life, your relationships, your work, and then set goals to reach them. Share these goals with others you trust and respect so they can encourage you and hold you accountable in order to stay on course, and keep you from losing yourself along the way.
- Share your Vision – get the support you need from your family, your friends, and your team at work. This will challenge others to have a similar focus in life and help you reach your goals quicker. The synergistic effect of people sharing the same definition of success will have a ripple effect that will help more people than if you just go it alone.
This is one of the values Renaissance Executive Forum members get from our Top Executive Peer to Peer Groups. If you would like to learn more, come join us at our next meeting and see what it’s like to be in a peer advisory setting with other Business Owners, CEO’s and Presidents, who are driving toward success. Fill out the form below and we can meet to talk about your plans and how our groups can support your goals.
by Robert Hunt
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