So, YOU Want To Be Successful? Here’s a thought… Define It!
May 11th, 2008
Photo courtesy flickr, photos from tiseb - http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiseb/
post by Mitch W. Steel - excerpt from “The 3 C’s” The Success eBook
Words of wisdom all around
but no one ever seems to listen
They talk about their plans on the paper
Building up from the pavement
mm hm
there’re shadows from the scrapers on the pavement
mm hm
It’s enough to make me sigh
but that don’t seem like it would make it feel better
The words are all around
but the words are only sounds
and no one ever seems to listen
~ jack johnson “traffic in the sky”
Do you have a definition of success?
I’ve taught hundreds of students for over five years. Every time I ask this simple question: “Who wants to be successful?” every single person raises his hand. At this point, I actually have inverted the question to simply be, “who does NOT want to be successful.” Just to verify that not a single person will raise their hand. Obviously, it is unanimous, EVERYONE WANTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. This of course is where the “fun” begins…
Then, I ask them to define success.
Can you say dear in the headlights… pretty much a room full of blank stares. The students kind of squirm in their seats, perhaps a little concerned I might pin them down and actually ask them for their definition.
Wild isn’t it? Throughout the years, I’ve discovered that only about 3% of my students actually have a working definition of success.
You may have noticed this too? Everyone wants to be successful, yet, how many have defined it?
There seems to be lots of people searching high and low for “answers”- for “shortcuts” to this elusive “success.” You’ve seen the headlines and the advertisements, no doubt:
“Be Outrageously Happy in Three Easy Steps”
“Seven Secrets to Riches”
“Be the Success You’ve Always Dreamed Of”
The crazy thing is . . . if you ask them what “success” truly is they – just like 97 percent of my students — would probably be at a loss for words.
Try it sometime. Ask someone to define “success” for you. You’ll probably be received with a blank stare. If not, you’ll get some vague definition that sounds something like:
“Success is waking up with a smile on my face.”
“Success is knowing that someone loves me.”
Now, this brings me to the question of the day: How in the world can YOU hit a target when YOU can’t see it . . . or worse yet, does not even exist?
Creating your personal definition of success
Welcome to Exercise #1. You guessed it! Time for you to write out your definition of success!
Think about it. It seems only logical that the first step to success is to at least to resolve in your mind what exactly success is. What it ought to look and feel like! You must first have a definition for it if you plan to attain it!
Ideally, your definition of success should be no longer than two or three sentences. In fact, the shorter the definition, the better. One time I asked a person to give me his personal definition of success. He gave me a description a mile long. “Success,” he said, “is when I’m happy, my dog is fed and when my girlfriend is happy and we have a lot of money and no financial worries.”
what!? - why not just add when the cat is sleeping and the baby isn’t crying!
I could probably fill several posts here on success theory alone. However, for now, what is most important is to identify an acceptable definition - one that has stood the test of time. Here, humbly submitted for your consideration is the one I teach in every class…
SUCCESS = CREATING YOUR IDEAL FUTURE.
Be sure to leave comments and share your thoughts. Really looking forward to some quality success definitions posted here. Let’s see it!
cheers!
~ Mitch W. Steel
Loading ...
(+4 rating, 4 votes)
Loading ...
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:21 am
couldn’t agree more - i know when i see people talk of success the focus or what they mean seems to be MONEY - i love einstein’s quote - “Try NOT to be a man of Success - Try rather to be a man of VALUE”. Add value - and KNOW what success means. great stuff - thanks
June 20th, 2008 at 1:49 am
nice thought provoking article…and the comment is also good… i always ponder what is success….doing all the things you have to do and leaving no things in mid or awry….with every moment of enjoying life accomplishing things with little ego ….thats how i feel….my friends..
June 21st, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Great advice for success. It reminds me of another rather wise list I found at http://www.21suggestions.com/ Enjoy!
June 27th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Yup, thanks for the insight.
my def; success is to grow and bare fruits …. that is;
to see that my vision/ideas is executable and bring result
to see that I can make my dreams cometrue
to see that I can be a better person
June 27th, 2008 at 11:35 am
excellent - appreciate the comments!
July 26th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Hi Mitch,
Great Article.
Thoughtprovoking one indeed.
My definition of success is to live happily with my family and help others to attain their success.
Thanks for sharing.
Best Wishes,
Kannan Viswagandhi
http://www.growing-self.blogspot.com
July 26th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Kannan
thank you! i really like your definition. very thoughtful indeed. appreciate you taking the time to comment and share your insight!
cheers!
-mws
July 27th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Hi Mitch,
I clicked the download link and downloaded the ebook.When i open it,all i can see is,a one page document,saying that if you can read this page,you have adobe in your pc.Can you please help me to get the ebook.
Thanks,
Kannan Viswagandhi
vkannan10@gmail.com
http://www.growing-self.blogspot.com
July 27th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Kannan,
Sorry about the confusion Sir!
You will note that on the ebook webpage where you are asked to enter your information (on the website copy/pasted below) it tells you that this is a “TEST” document and that the eBook will be finished soon. It’s undergoing some final formatting and editing.
-mws
——————
***NOTE: Upon submission it could take up to FIVE MINUTES - please be patient. You are welcome to register your email now to ensure your free copy when it is ready. The eBook is undergoing some final edits and is NOW expected to be done around July 28th. We apologize for this delay, but please recognize it helps to ensure an even better product. The current document that will download on verification is a “test” document at this time.
To those of you who have already registered your email and dowloaded the test document, we will notify you when the book is finalized. All the best.
~Mitch W. Steel
July 30th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Hi Mitch,
Thanks for the free ebook.
It is great book with inspirational content and teaching practical steps to become successful.
I wrote a review at:
http://growing-self.blogspot.com/2008/07/free-ebook-3-cs-of-success.html
Thanks for sharing your wisdom.Best wishes for your printed book soon.
Best wishes,
Kannan Viswagandhi
http://www.growing-self.blogspot.com
August 25th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Amazine site
Thanks
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:09 am
Amazing site.
Thanks.
November 30th, 2008 at 5:08 am
Hi All
“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him”.This is what my mantra of SUCCESS is…..
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:34 pm
hmm, success is when you are no longer worried about being successful… hahaha
December 4th, 2008 at 12:41 am
rath!
outstanding there is much truth to that! much like the discussion i had with a great friend of mine the other day. you don’t pursue JOY you provide it. you don’t pursue LOVE you give it/live it and provide it. as covey would say love is a verb.
by detaching and NOT seeking success DIRECTLY you can realize it. HOWEVER, i suppose the one caveat would be i certainly believe you do need to pursue creativity or at least BE creative AND improve your character and complete your goals, dreams and desires. then of course you’ll wake up one day to REALIZE success in common hours.
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in COMMON hours. HDThoreau
thanks for sharing!
~mws
March 13th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
I’m sorry, but i doubt about success recipe isn’t a fiction. Why the fly cure by antibiotics? ‘Cause it is tried-and-true way that proven many times. How many peoples get success by reading about it? Any statistics?
Thank you.
March 14th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
GPS - Thanks, i think.
I’m not sure if that is a sincere comment or a way to direct traffic to your gps store? i will presume it is. I don’t have the statistics and pretty sure nobody does. But, i can tell you that everyone who is a success achieves it through focus, attention and awareness OFTEN times by reading about it. So, if such statistics did exist my guess (since you’re asking) would be pretty high, upwards of 85%. all the best. thank you
March 30th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Hello, mws, since there is “website” field i’ve fill it by site that is well-known for me. Why not? I never comment articles that isn’t interesting for me and i don’t care considerably about link advantages.
First, excuse me for terrible english, it speak form still difficult for me. I want point your attention to phrase “everyone who is a success achieves it through focus, attention and awareness OFTEN times by reading about it.”
Yes, maybe 85% have been learned about succes. But in fact they are potentially successful because they LEARN continuously. I know a lot of peoples that never strain oneself by any reason. So i don’t agree that ANY people is potentially succesful because is the 10% of talent and 90% of sweat.
Best regards, thanks!
March 31st, 2009 at 1:51 am
understood - glad that was a sincere comment. yes, would agree that continuous learning is essential ans so is focus and attention. thanks again GPS!