Success Define Your Own

Many of us are prisoners of our own success. Maybe we started our careers with a goal of climbing the corporate ladder, or earning $100,000 per year, or another milestone we wanted to achieve.

We then achieve ?success?, are respected by our peers, have a nice big house full of great stuff, take nice vacations?.. And yet, we often think, ?Is this all that there is?? We have a sense of emptiness inside.

I think many of us experience this ?mid-life crisis? because we have borrowed society?s definition of success instead of crafting our own definition of personal success.

Take a moment and write down the Definition of Success that has guided your decisions and actions up until now. You don?t have to agree with it, but put down on paper what has been lurking in your mind.

Where did you get your current definition of success? Is this your parents? or teacher?s or spouse?s definition?

Do you agree with your current definition of success in your heart? Does it make you feel inspired and ambitious? Or are you trapped by a definition of success that you don?t even agree to?

It?s time to create your very own personalized definition of success.

Here are some alternative definitions of success for you to consider and reflect upon:

?Too often, people focus only on results. But getting results without learning something or without having fun are incomplete. So is having fun without getting the results, or having fun without learning something new to help and empower you in the future. Accomplishment is all three: the result, personal growth, and having fun.?
- Peter L. Hirsch

?There are many aspects to success; material wealth is only one component?.But success also include good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind.?
- Deepak Chopra

?He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth?s beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; who life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.?
- Bessie Stanley as published in the Lincoln Sentinel on Nov. 30, 1905. Mrs. Stanley won $250 in an essay contest by the George Livingston Richards Co of Boston, MA

What is YOUR definition of success? If you found yourself at the end of this lifetime, what would you like to be remembered for? Would your current occupation, career, and accomplishments make you feel like a success? What would you regret either having done or not having done?

Remember, you are free to change this definition of success on a daily, weekly, or yearly basis. Have fun. Put pen to paper and do a draft version.

MY DEFINITION OF SUCCESS:

Make several copies of your Definition of Success and hang it where you can see it: your bathroom mirror, your computer, the dashboard of your car, the refrigerator, etc.

Does your definition inspire you? Give you energy? Does it inspire you to work and play and have fun? If not, tweak it until it does.

Now, given your definition, where are you on a scale of 1-10? What is missing in your life? What do you want to change?

This is not a process of beating yourself up or dwelling on the past. You are creating a definition to pull you forward and inspire your tomorrows. (If you are having trouble with this exercise, please visit http://www.corporaterebels.com for more guidance.)

After absorbing your new definition of success, are you inspired to stay in your current job or seek something more to your liking and better suited to your natural talents? If you decide to make a change, consider hiring an unconventional career coach who can guide you through the process and make it easy and fun!

COVER STORY: World Class Kiwis Talented and Tenacious ; How do you get to be world class? In tough economic times, it becomes even more vital to delve into the recipes for Kiwi success, define common characteristics and do our damnedest to replicate what has helped take the 2009 World Class New Zealanders to the top of their game.

Little country in the bottom of the world we may be, but New Zealand, as one World Class New Zealand Award winner puts it, produces a disproportionate share of talented people in all spheres of achievement. While our sporting stars are more visible high fliers, the World Class Leaders Awards,

Publication: New Zealand Management

Career and success coach can help define goals, open options

BAY ST. LOUIS - Kids have coaches for music, sports and for taking tests to get into college. Adults go to specialists for health problems, dental care and to file their taxes. But how often do adults already in the labor market consult a career coach? Just as with other areas, getting some tips

Publication: The Mississippi Business Journal

Engage, B2BWorks execs define success .(Brief Article)

The two leading b-to-b advertising networks, Engage Business Media and B2BWorks, are locked in a battle. While both manage clients' ads on a network of b-to-b Web sites and offer a range of ancillary marketing services, they approach this work from very different perspectives and strengths.

Publication: BtoB

Pipe coating industry leaders define success: Wayne Norris and Dura-Bond go the distance. (National Association of Pipe Coating Applicators).

Wayne Norris has spent his entire career working at Dura-Bond Coating, Inc., a family-owned business, and currently serves as president and CEO. Joining Wayne at Dura-Bond are his two brothers, Brad and Jim; his two sons, Jason and Ryan; and his brother-in-law, John Hopper. "For some companies,

Publication: Pipeline & Gas Journal

LOOK AT YOUR VALUES TO HELP DEFINE MEANING OF SUCCESS.(Business)(Column)

People suffering burnout are frequently counseled to get more ``balance'' in their lives. But balance isn't necessarily the answer, according to a new book, ``Success With Soul'' (Dorian Welles, $14.95, 1997), by Doris Pozzi and Stephen Williams. The element that's missing is not balance, but

Publication: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, WA)