| Why is this question important? One of the | | | | Accept There Are Always Alternatives. The |
| most important career and life-planning | | | | very fact that so many of us have not |
| activities you can engage in is finding your | | | | questioned the paths we are on speaks to a |
| own definitions or models of success. This is | | | | lack of awareness or acceptance of alternate |
| vitally important for a number of reasons: If | | | | paths. There have never been more options or |
| you haven't done this, how do you know what's | | | | valid ways of defining career and life |
| best for you? How can you make career | | | | success. |
| decisions if you aren't crystal clear about | | | | |
| how you define success? How can you be happy | | | | Examine Your Path. Do you love what you do? |
| if you don't know when you're successful? | | | | Do you do fantastic work as a result? Does |
| | | | your work complement your personal and family |
| If this question is relevant to you right | | | | life or detract from it? Are you excited |
| now... There is never a bad time to discover | | | | about your vision of the future? Is this your |
| and be clear on your definition of success. | | | | best use of your precious gifts and time? |
| Today's economic realities make the timing | | | | |
| even better. If your career hasn't gone | | | | Create Some Quiet, Introspective Time. Ask |
| according to plan, or even if it has, | | | | yourself these questions: What makes me |
| reexamine what it is you actually want. Doing | | | | happy? How do I feel? What do I want? And |
| so can make you a lot happier. | | | | then, answer a question from the coaching |
| | | | school CoachVille.com, "I know how successful |
| Successful -- on Whose Terms? If you haven't | | | | I am by how (fill in the blank)." The answers |
| taken the time to define it, success has | | | | to this question will point you in the right |
| already been defined for you. You're already | | | | direction. You can have several definitions |
| following models of career and life success. | | | | of success as long as they don't contradict |
| The question is whether they are your own, or | | | | each other. |
| ones you inherited. One of your greatest | | | | |
| career challenges is identifying goals and | | | | Refine Your Responses. Ask yourself "why?" |
| definitions of success that are true to you | | | | and "is that what I really want?" after each |
| rather than ones you inherited from family, | | | | response to the statement until each rings |
| society and other outside forces. Your | | | | true. For example, if your first response |
| current model of success may or may not work | | | | was, "I'll know I am successful when I am a |
| for you. The important thing is understanding | | | | millionaire," ask yourself why you want to be |
| your assumptions and questioning them. | | | | a millionaire. You might, for example, find |
| | | | out that success for you is to have the |
| If you follow a path to success that isn't | | | | freedom to use your time as you wish, or the |
| your own, you may achieve your goals, but | | | | ability to travel or be rid of financial |
| when you arrive at your destination, you may | | | | worries. This process may lead you to make |
| not feel successful or fulfilled at all. | | | | other decisions in your life that will help |
| | | | you reach your goal. |
| Keep in mind that your existing job may hold | | | | |
| the key to your happiness. For example, if | | | | Test Your Responses with People Who Know You |
| you were to discover that making your | | | | Really Well. Do they ring true? |
| customers happy was the one thing that | | | | |
| defines and inspires you, what would that do | | | | One definition of success that puts this |
| to your focus and state of mind? | | | | philosophy into simple words comes from |
| | | | American author Christopher Morley, who |
| Choose Your Own Definition of Success You | | | | wrote: |
| have the power to reaffirm existing models or | | | | |
| adopt new models of success. All it takes is | | | | "There is only one success -- to be able to |
| some honest thinking, clarity of purpose and | | | | spend your life in your own way." |
| the discipline to stay true to your values in | | | | |
| the long run. | | | | Being clear about how you define success will |
| | | | reap immeasurable rewards. |