Failure or Success? It Begins With a Definition.

When I take on a new client, I ask them to fill out a questionnaire before we begin working together. One of the questions is: “Success means different things to different people; what does success mean to you?”

It seems like a pretty basic question at first glance, but when you really think about it, it’s fairly loaded. Your answer might sum up why you chose the business you did, how you feel about your family, what global issues are important to you, how important your physical and mental health is, what money means to you, and more. I’ve learned that very few successful business owners will describe success simply as running a profitable business. In fact, that is often one of the last things mentioned. The business is typically a means to the end; a way to accommodate values that represent whole life balance.

Another interesting and telling point is that many of the people who answer this question are thinking about it for the first time. Now I ask you, how can you possibly achieve success if you don’t know what success means to you? If you don’t even know what success is? It’s like trying to achieve goals that you’ve never set! Achieving clarity around your definition of success is a great start to growing a successful business and living a balanced life.

As an entrepreneur, success is probably one of your top values; one of the things that is most important to you in the world. So give this question some serious consideration. Ask yourself, “What is important about success to me? How do I define success?” Remember, this is YOUR definition, not that of society as a whole. This is all about YOU – Yay!

Now, if you respond by saying that you must have a profitable business and be highly regarded in your field, that’s great. But I challenge you to look at the bigger picture. If you achieve those things, but don’t have any time to spend with your friends and family, will you feel successful? How about philanthropic activities? Will you feel successful if you can’t devote time and money to causes that are important to you? Or – I don’t know – say… if your company adds to the effects of global warming? What if you feel and act like a total Scrooge to keep your company profitable and you don’t treat others in a way that’s in harmony with your ideal values – in the way you like to be treated? Will you feel successful if you make a profit, but have to work 12-hours a day to do it? Some people would say yes, some would not. And that’s ok. Remember, this is YOUR definition of success.

Well, you get the idea. Knowing what success means to you today will help you to build your ideal company tomorrow. Your company is an extension of you; identify and define your most important values and apply them to the way you run your company and live your life – inside and outside of work. This is a critical layer in the foundation of a sound business and a happy lifestyle. So, hello, my name is Marla and I’d like to ask you a question: What does success mean to you?