Even during the credit crunch, it can be all too easy to think of success in terms of large salaries and bonuses, a big house, a flash car, lotsa bling and all the holidays you want. And indeed, that all sounds very nice (I wouldn't say no), but nevertheless some people can achieve all that and still not feel happy.
Perhaps, just perhaps, that's because success might mean something different to them. But how often do we stop and think about what success really means to us, instead of just following the pack?
When clients come to me to work on becoming more successful, here are some of the questions I might ask them to think about:
- When have you felt successful in the past? List a few occasions and then see if they have anything in common.
- What would make you more successful in your eyes?
- If there was just one thing you needed to achieve or have to view yourself as a success, what would it be?
- What might you need to let go of in your current life to become more successful?
- What are you afraid might happen if you were successful?
- If you were successful, would you feel that you were being true to yourself? What does that tell you?
There are plenty more questions to ask, but in each case, see if your immediate gut response is the same as your more considered answer. With both types of answer, who is speaking? Is it you or can you hear messages you heard from your parents, or your partner or your friends? Remember, success is only really meaningful if it's on your own terms.
