Measures of Success

Everyone wants to succeed.  The desire to succeed is as natural in life as breathing, eating and sleeping.  For the vast majority of people, failure is not the result of deliberate intent or desire.

Do you wake up in the morning and say, "I'm going to see if I can pick a fight with my spouse," or "I'm going to try to mess up my presentation in our staff meeting," or "I am going to see how miserable and depressed I can be?"  Probably not!  We experience failure in life, but not because it is our intent or desire.  We want to succeed.

We Must Keep Measures of Success in Perspective  

• Money   
• Power
• Possessions   
• Talent
• Achievements   
• Beauty
• Fame   
• Recreation
• Status
• Approval 

What are the most important symbols of success in our society?  The list above are all "respectable" measures of success.  There is nothing inherently wrong with any of them, and they can bring meaning and enrichment to our lives.  However, they must be kept in perspective.  Problems occur when our only definitions of success are external measures.  We set ourselves up to live from the belief that more is better.  No matter how much we have, we imagine that we would be even happier if we had just a little more.       

Until next time...






Sheryl Tuchman, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
http://tools2succeed.com/