Volume 4, Issue 5 - May 2003

How do you define success?
By Rhonda Scharf (Finniss)

Whether you are successful or not depends largely on your definition of success. To use society's definition, success comes with a big pay cheque, a fancy car, a prestigious address and an abundance of money. Is that success for you? Perhaps those would be some of the things you would have if you were successful but is that how you define it? Probably not.

I was recently delivering a training session in which we were discussing success and ways in which our personal definitions were different from society's. Words like self-satisfaction, balance, challenge, restful sleep, relaxation time, and contentment were used. That concept of success is quite different from the money, money, money one.

What is success for you?
When I define success for myself, I realize that some of the trappings of society enter into it. Does my car really matter? Well, I do drive a nice car, and I'm quite proud of it. Does owning it make me successful? Not really, but it does make me feel successful. Although consciously I realize that money does not make someone successful, it can make one feel successful. If you feel successful, then you act successful. If you act successful you are treated by others as successful... and so on. So, part of my definition of success is what society considers successful as well. But I am clear that this is a small part of my own definition.

To me, being successful is being at peace with myself. It's having time to do the little things that make the people around me feel valued, important and special, and doing them because I want to, not because I should. Balance is a big part of success for me. I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. I want to fit all of those roles into my life, as well as that of business owner.

You may want to sit down with a pen and paper and decide what success is for you. Include material possessions, if they would be included in your definition of success. Don't apologize for it, either. Many of us are influenced by society far more than we want to admit.

Think about the characteristics of success you want to have. What does a successful person look like to you? What do successful people do? How can you pick them out of a crowd? That can help you decide on your definition of success.

When you have defined what success is for you, go to the mirror and look at yourself. Do you see a successful person staring back at you? I'm willing to bet that you will. Remember, in order to be seen by others as a success, you have to see it in yourself first.

Rhonda Scharf (Finniss), CSP is a Certified Professional Speaker, Trainer and Author and President of ON THE RIGHT TRACK - Training & Consulting and is available to deliver customized training programs or keynote speeches at your next convention. Call her today at 1-877-213-8608 or e-mail Rhonda@on-the-right-track.com. Why not take a moment and sign up here for her complimentary quarterly newsletter.