Success Matters - Ten Measures of Success
by Barbara Bartlein, R.N., M.S.W.

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Are you successful? The following "measures of success" are a useful yardstick. Success means:

1. Earning a living wage at a job done well. For a job to be done well, you have to feel passion and enjoy the work you are doing. More money is meaningless if you don`t find pleasure each day in your vocation. The wage needs to be a living wage so that you can focus on your chosen work.

2. Having a vision of your future and creating goals consistent with that vision. Your life work is pursuing those goals with energy, creativity and integrity. There should be a creative tension between your vision and the present reality so there is a "stretch to reach it." This creative tension gives you the energy to maintain momentum and achieve goals one by one. Bartlein

3. Having the love and respect of those who surround you. You act in a manner deserving of such love and respect through hard work and dedication. Don`t ever confuse fame or "being known" with respect. Sometimes, one is sacrificed for another.

4. Giving back to the community and enjoying doing so. You recognize the gifts given to you and look for opportunities to "give back." Not because it is "politically correct," but because you recognize that you are truly blessed and it is a privilege to share.

5. Accepting defeat and rejection, and learning from it. It is said that there are two types of people in the world; those who learn from their mistakes, and those who learn from the mistakes of others. It is a lot easier not making all the mistakes ourselves. When we do find ourselves on the losing end, a successful person learns from the experience and grows from the defeat.

6. Spending the majority of waking hours doing things you want to do. Having the capacity to enjoy each day is a true gift. Often the simple activities are the most pleasurable. Remember there are two ways to be rich; have a lot of money or have simple needs.

7. Leading a physically healthy lifestyle. The old saying, "early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise," still bodes true. Many people take better care of their cars than their bodies, yet health is the one gift we cannot buy. Remember the golden rules of health; "neither eat, drink nor sleep as much as you want."

8. Being a spiritual person. Recognize that life is a gift from a power greater than yourself. Look for direction and guidance in your life so you are able to "let go" when appropriate and move on.

9. Striving for but not expecting perfection in yourself or others. While always striving for improvement, you recognize that the goal is not perfection but a life of continuous improvement. Rather than judge or expect improvement in others, you focus on other`s successes and give them positive credit.

10. Believing that you are successful. Positive thought is a powerful tool. You become what you think. If you believe that you can do it, you reap the rewards of your thinking.

There are many roads to success and each fork has to be designed by you. Each involves choices, opportunities and risks. Make sure you know what success means to you! As Henry Kissinger said, "If you don`t know where you are going, then all roads lead to nowhere."

A special thank you to Deborah Patel for her assistance with this article.

© Barbara Bartlein, R.N., M.S.W. - All Rights Reserved.

Barbara Bartlein, R.N., M.S.W. is a speaker, trainer, consultant and author. Barbara provides motivational keynotes, training seminars and wellness programs for business and organizations. For more information on how Barbara can help your organization please contact Speakers Platform.