How do you define success? I’m guessing your first thought has to do with money or possessions or that dream job. But have you ever really thought about it? Do you have your own definition, or do you lean on the definition of others…the Joneses perhaps? (Oh yes, them…we’ll discuss them more in future posts.)
If you haven’t ever defined what success looks like to you, then how will you know when you have achieved it? This question really gets at the heart of the Enough Life. It is actually an intensely personal question; the definition is different for each of us. The Joneses definition will never truly satisfy. Someone else’s expectations or definition will never give us peace and satisfaction because success, regardless of how you define it, requires sacrifice.
All success costs something, and the price you are willing to pay is proportional to the value of the definition to you specifically. Sacrifice may be in the form of blood, sweat, and tears. It may be the time commitment or the energy required. It may come at the cost of certain relationships. It will certainly come in the form of missing other opportunities. You must consider what success looks like to you, so you aren’t sacrificing for someone else’s definition of success.
A dear friend of mine recently went through this very exercise. She decided to leave a demanding albeit lucrative managerial position with a good company to accept a slightly less lucrative non-managerial position with a smaller firm. The new position will provide her more time with her family and the ability to work from home most of the week. She counted the cost, examined her goals, and decided what she was – and was not – willing to sacrifice. This is success!
We each have only one shot at this earthly life. What if at the end of your life you realized that you sacrificed so much only to achieve someone else’s definition of success? Success should produce peace and satisfaction in the sacrifice as well as the achievement. Only you can define what your successful Enough Life looks like. Give it some thought today!
P.S. You may also want to check out post #18 if you haven’t yet.