What is Your Definition of Success?

"You got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there."

"Going with the flow" is a waste of your potential, opportunities, and even more important, your time. Assess your priorities, discover what is important to you, and thereby set the framework for your own personal definition of success!

Every person who acquires a job does so for a reason; and while most do not consciously think of it in those terms, clarifying your reason is an important facet in defining what success means to you. What is the purpose of the job you have or are seeking-- is it primarily the need to earn money for support of yourself, your family, savings, long-term goals? or the need to acquire skills? or the wish to advance in a particular field? Take your own personal factors into consideration-- to not only land the job you desire, but why you are looking for it.

One's viewpoint on education is also important-- some choose to further their educations in order to change careers, gain a higher standing in the careers they already have, or simply for the sake of further learning. All are valid reasons for continuing education, and should be given careful thought before deciding how to proceed.

The old saying that marriage is the most important thing in life is accurate-- accurate, that is, in realizing the need to assess "where you're at" on the subject before making the decision to marry. If one is in the process of making this decision, or has already made it, it would be a good idea to not only ask yourself if this is what you really want, but also why. Many failed marriages could be avoided if both individuals consider the why behind their choice, to ensure that both individuals share the same outlook. It is surprising how many couples are not in initial agreement on such topics as whether "'til death do us part" is a lifetime commitment, the having and raising of children, how much Togertherness is desired, and basic compatibility. Such communication can make a marriage; the lack of it has the potential to break one.

The decisions about your lifestyle effects many aspects of your life-- from your choice of friends to the geographical location you ultimately live in. The age-old cliche of "finding yourself" should not be thought of as outdated, for if you want a harmonious and successful "fit" with where you live, with whom you associate, how you spend your free time, etc., learning about your own personality and standards goes a long way in determining where and how you will be happiest.

Coping strategies are another essential element in a successful life. Traits formed in one's earliest life can be assessed in terms of what does and what does not work. From minor everyday challenges to serious crises, no one's life is free of difficulties which must be dealt with. If you familiarize yourself with you own personal means of coping, setbacks and even disasters will have less power to create a permanent standstill in your life.

Whether you are twenty, forty, or sixty, it's not too late-- nor too early-- to take an inventory of your life and what you wish to do with the future years of it, based on your own personal definition of success. If the question "What is it that is stopping me from saying 'This, right now, Is My Life'?" generates some feelings of panic or confusion, first be assured that you are not unique... and then haul out your ability to choose your own definition of success so you will not only know where you're going, you will be more certain of getting there.