A Question to Ponder
Had John Wooden, famed UCLA basketball coach, only reached the playoffs instead of
winning a record ten national championships, would he have considered himself a
success?
Had Thomas Paine only sold one copy of his devilishly influential pamphlet, Common
Sense, instead of selling over 500,000 copies in its first year, would he have
considered his little pamphlet a success?
Had Emmeline Pankhurst only spoken on the need for women's suffrage instead of gaining
the right to vote, would she have considered her efforts a success?
There's no way to tell; unless, of course, each of these notables set standards. If
they decided in advance what success meant, they would know whether to be satisfied
with small gains or driven to do more.
Do you have a definition of success? If not for your life as a whole, how about at
work or at home? If you don't, soon you will.
Without defining success in the present, how can you possibly know if you're doing well
in the future?
This checklist is unlike others. I'm not going to give you one; you're going to write
it. I want you write a list of benchmarks that, when met, will equal success.
Breathing and walking are enough for many people to feel successful, having a healthy
family is enough for others. I couldn't agree more. So let's treat this exercise as
icing on the cake. What would it take--in your career, health, relationships, etc.--for
you to feel that you are succeeding?
Don't think about it. Write it down.
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