Defining Success

William “Bud” Hart, of Haverhill, shares “Success Principles”—ideas for living a greater, better and more accomplished life, and building habits that stick. He also coaches clients to incorporate strategies for boosting their mental and physical performance during everyday living.

William “Bud” Hart, of Haverhill, shares “Success Principles”—ideas for living a greater, better and more accomplished life, and building habits that stick. He also coaches clients to incorporate strategies for boosting their mental and physical performance during everyday living.

How do you define success?

Does it mean reaching a milestone or a particular life goal?  Does it take personal prosperity: a certain house, job or possibly financial security? How about winning: obtaining a leadership position, title or business and social status that spells success?

To most everyone in our culture and society today fame and money are indicators of success. In general, the more of each you have the more successful you are considered to be.

Surely, you need to have financial resources to find success. Your tank can’t be running on empty. But money isn’t really the issue when it comes to having and enjoying success.

I like money. I know I can’t do very much at all without it. With it I can give my family the life I want them to have, do things to help others and use it in ways that make me feel good about having it.

You may not agree, but when I reflect on it I am quite happy with having just enough and not too much money.  I like knowing that people treat me as they do because of who I am and not my money.

In his book “Outliers,” “The Story of Success,” Malcolm Gladwell suggests that it is not money that makes us happy (and successful). For most of us being fulfilled doing what we do to make a living is more important and meaningful than how much money we can make.

No matter how you may define your own success if you want to capture the true meaning and the real feeling of success here is a suggestion. When you wake up in the morning be mindful to go out to do something to make yourself and your world a bit better for your being here.

Do this before your head hits the pillow every night and the money and all the success that can come with it is sure to follow.

William “Bud” Hart is a certified “Performance Enrichment” Coach, Accountability Partner and Business Consultant. Founder of Hart Group, www.hartgroupma.com .