What Is Success?

Happy New Year!!!

Well it looks like the world didn't end and it's back to work for most of us. I thought we would kick off the year and the blog, by talking about success. I hate to sound hacky by quoting a dictionary, but let's just say if you look up success in some sort of book with definitions, there is no dollar figure assigned to the term. Success isn't defined by the car you drive, or how well your kids do in school. Success is a personal goal that you have to define if you are going to attain it.

Think of all the times you have had "record sales" or won "Employee of the Month." Sure it made you happy for a short while, but it probably didn't give you a lasting sense of fulfillment. You really need to decide what being a success is to you. To some people, success is getting enough money so they can play video games all day, but to others, it might be having a business successful enough that you can devote two days a week to charity work.

Defining success can be the hardest part of becoming one. It requires a lot of soul searching and asking "What will make me feel complete?" This question can make you feel uncomfortable and therefore, people tend to avoid it, taking the position of "I'll know it when I see it."

You might be thinking that "Being Rich" or "Getting in Shape" would make you feel like a success, but those are broad concepts. How much money will it take? Is a million dollars enough? Two million? When will you have enough money that you can step back and say "I am a success." The same for weight. How much do you have to lose to feel good? What do you want to look like?
I guarantee you that Richard Branson and Lebron James have vastly different ideas in their heads about what success is, but I think we can agree, that they both meet the qualifications.

So as we ring in 2012 and John Cusack readies his limo to rescue us, take a moment this week and decide what success is to you.
After all, if you don't know what the destination is, how can you hope to get there?

Be well.

Shane Goodfellow
Squeak E Cleaners/ Sharp Cleaning Services
www.SqueakECleaners.com
(519) 402-3401