When I coach people, we eventually get to the question of what is success.

Just like many other words in any language, the meaning of success often is different for different people.

For this to be your best year yet, it helps to get clear on your own meaning of success.

If you feel like your old definition of success not longer cuts it, or even if you could use some more clarity, let me ask you to share your own definition and measure of success right here.

Success: being able to do a cartwheel.

One thing I’ve noticed is that our meaning of success can change along the journey. This has certainly been true for me, and maybe if it has been the case for you too it might even be time for a success makeover.

To kick things off, and perhaps as a springboard, I am going to share the top 10 responses I got at a restaurant when I asked the question “what is success?”

1. Success is the freedom to enjoy life as it should be

2. Success has nothing to do with money, wealth or fame and everything to do with making a difference to people doing what I love every day

3. Success is measured by the positive impact I make on the lives of others

4. Success means creating and maintaining balance in my life

5. Success is being in alignment with my personal integrity

6. Success is a state of mind

7. Success is the ability to look back on my life without regrets knowing I have accomplished all I wanted up to that point

8. Success means being able to spend as much time as I want with my family without having to worry about money

9. Success is my being able to live the life I want to live

10. Success is having raised children who are happy and successful in their own lives.

If we get fifty responses to this post, including yours, we’ll have a special call that will jumpstart your success.

So let’s hear it, what does success mean to you?

Ciao!

Free Content

This content is free

I was fascinated the first time I heard that from the moment they’re born, sharks never stop swimming, even when they are asleep.

What a great metaphor for life: always keep moving… forward. And how similar to my personal philosophy of AGAI: if you want to get the most juice out of it, Always Grow and Improve in all 7 areas of life. Because let’s face it, when we aren’t moving forward, what are we doing?

Benjamin Franklin also observed that continuous growth and learning is a requisite for fulfillment when he said “some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75.” Does that seem harsh?

When you stop growing, you stay rooted in the past, the present passes you by, and the future becomes more threatening.

By the way, even if you are moving slowly, it’s okay… so long as you are moving forward.

Always Grow and Improve.

So which of the 7 areas of your life are you focusing on today?

Ciao!

Taylor

Free Content

This content is free

Hi,

It’s amazing how small an agent of change can be…

For me, it recently was a tiny fruit fly that motivated me to make a change in my life.

I’ve talked about motivation in earlier posts; and what really gets you up and moving. This time for me-of all things-it was bugs near my fruit bowl.

Picture this… It’s summertime, and fruit flies are multiplying all over the joint! Naturally we’re to blame because we see so many delicious fruits and can’t resist piling it up in the kitchen…

…And wouldn’t you know these eager little critters can’t resist helping us eat it.

See, the “fruit fly situation” in my house just got unbearable. Actually, out of control. They gravitate towards anything that has even a hint of sweetness or sugar to it.

They converge onto a spoon.

If you leave a bottle of wine open, they swarm to the rim or just plunge right in.

I forgot how quickly these suckers can procreate and multiply.

…It kind of makes me want to brush up on my biology 101 to see how long it actually takes them to create more offspring. I’d say it’s about fifteen seconds? And BAM!, a thousand more pesky Drosophila Melanogasters now fluffing around my fruit bowl.

Free Content

This content is free

Did you know that from the moment sharks are born, they never stop swimming, even when they are asleep?

Okay, sharks may not be the first thing you think of when you are asked about role models. Let’s face it though; sharks have been around much longer than man or any other mammal, maybe as much as 400 million years. To me this says they’re doing something right.

And they never stop moving forward. I think it’s a good metaphor for life: even if you’re only moving forward slowly, it’s vital to always keep moving.

Change doesn’t need to be hard: In fact, it’s better if it’s easy, and pleasurable, don’t you think?

Let’s say you want to lose 100 lbs (I like round numbers!)…

Free Content

This content is free

You may have heard of the 7 Areas of Life?

If you’re new to the concept (welcome, by the way) the 7 Areas of Life are:

Money, Time, Relationships, Health, Emotions, Work or Career, and Greater Contribution.

Each of these 7 Areas are like pillars that support your happiness and well-being. When one is weak and crumbles, your well-being caves in.

If you sit back and think about it, you might agree that most of us work on one, two, or at best, three of these pillars, right?

Some pour their heart and soul into their jobs. Ever found yourself concentrating on your career …identifying yourself with your job title or how much you earn, only feeling fulfilled when your work life is going well? …I know I have.

Others focus predominantly on their relationships. For these people, family and friends are the most important of the seven Areas, and they do not feel like a whole person if they’re not always focused putting others first.

By now maybe you can see how you favor one or two Areas the most. And likewise you might just as easily have clear in your mind the Areas you neglect… say maybe your health (when you eat out a lot to save time and energy), your money (when you spend money on things you know you don’t really need) or maybe your relationships (if you get caught up in a rat race of life bound with responsibilities)?

Don’t feel bad about the Areas you neglect, because we all do it. Just promise me you’ll avoid making the mistake of assuming that two or three strong “pillars” will make up for the rest. Because if you do, sooner or later the roof of your inner house will cave in, there is no doubt (I’ve been there and got the t-shirt).

And maybe it already has caved in… Perhaps right now you as you read what I’m saying there’s an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of your stomach – the one that signals now is time to change some things in your life…

Free Content

This content is free

Hi,

You have probably already realized we are more than half-way through the year. And whether or not you make formal new years resolutions or set goals for the new year, we all have at least a few things we hope to achieve before the year draws to a close, right?

So I wonder …what’s cooking with you? And it’s perfectly OK to share what’s not cooking or what you’d like to change.

Ciao!

Taylor

Free Content

This content is free