I believe that all of us are born with an innate desire to be successful. I have never met anyone who said, “I want to be an average parent,” or “I want to just get by in my job.” Perhaps those people exist in the world, but not in the circles I run in. Which, in and of itself may help clear a path to the beginning of success – if you want to be successful, hang around with other people seeking the same thing.
Whether it is sharing ideas, celebrating wins, or seeking accountability, if you surround yourself with the right kind of people, you are well on your way to finding success. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s step back and ask a very important question: “What is your definition of success?”
The bad news is the answer can take on a million different forms, depending on your point of view, and more importantly, how you see yourself. The good news is, if you invest time in seeking the answer, there is no wrong answer. Before I elaborate, allow me to share this definition from Zig Ziglar:
“Success is the maximum utilization of the abilities God gave you.”
Hold that thought for a minute, and we’ll come back to it.
The key to defining your vision of success is first begun by your own self-talk. Yes, I believe that you can talk yourself into being successful. So much so, that I would recommend you download your copy of the Ziglar self-talk cards available here. Take it from me, it is uncomfortable at first but if you start and continue for a few days, not only will you become more comfortable doing it, but you will be changed by doing it over time.
The better news about defining success is that your answer for you is as unique as you are. As long as you are pursuing continuous growth and challenges, you cannot arrive in a place where you are not enjoying success. Sure, life deals us disappointments, but even if you fall short as long as you keep trying your efforts over time multiply into sustained growth over time.
Finally, coming back to Zig’s quote, let me highlight for you the two words, maximum utilization. And next, allow me to suggest that you never will achieve maximum utilization. Why? Because if you get there today, then tomorrow you need to be even a little better.
I have much more to say about this topic and in fact, will make this a three-part series helping you define not only success but also significance and legacy. Be sure to stay tuned, or better yet subscribe so you don’t miss out on these future articles.
Finally, if you would like help clarifying your definition of any of the three topics, I offer two slots per week where I take one hour with each person to help them get clarity on these issues as well as giving them ideas on how to get from where they are now in their life to where they want to go. These highly valuable sessions are free and fill up quickly, so grab your spot here at the bottom of the page.
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