We are raised to believe that success is obtained through the education we earn, the amount of money we make, the job title we hold, or the power we have over others. Some value their success based on the goals they meet or the milestones they hit. How can we measure something that is so subjective? It is like measuring beauty or an individuals spiritual commitment; I mean, come on! Well, I say it is time for a paradigm shift.
What is the one thing that we all have an equal and definite amount of? It’s time! Granted, some will have more than others, but time is a gift that has been given to all of us and does not discriminate on race, gender, or age. Now what if we used the metric of time and changed the definition of success around this concept?… It would look like this… Success is measured by the fulfillment of how you spend your time. And again, how you spend your time is completely subjective, but that is also the simplicity about it. If you are happy with your time well spent then you have made yourself a success. End of story. Because, when you put it into perspective, we all have a very short time here on earth. If you want to spend your time in an office 80 hours a week so that you can spend some of your time at your cottage in the Hamptons and that makes you happy, then do that. If you want to spend your time backpacking through South America so you can officially say you really experienced the Amazon Jungle, then do that. No one gets to tell you how you spend your time; except if you are kid, then your ass better be at school, at home doing homework, or where ever else you’re told to be!
I think this also concludes, that you cannot compare your worldly possessions (aka all of your shit) to your peers. No one cares about all the stuff you have more than yourself. Don’t think that by acquiring fancy cars and expensive watches that anyone really cares. Ok, don’t get me wrong, yes absolutely there are people that get so caught up in the fancy frenzy that they become consumed up to their eyeballs, but who wants to hang out with those people anyhow. Lets focus on being around people who cherish spending time with you rather than how much money you spend. Money spent buys riches, time spent makes memories; your Rover can get repoed, your memories can truly last a lifetime and beyond.
It took me a few years, but I have realized that the quality of life and the manner in which I spend my time is more important than the amount of money I make. I would rather make less money and be happy, than be an over-worked, stressed-out, busy, working mom. I used to think that to be driven you had to always be chasing the best salary, the next big thing, the bigger house, nicer car. If you have this mindset, you will never actually find happiness, you will just always want more and more. My focus has shifted outward, whereas now, I want to help others achieve their goals. You will find that by helping others, it will in turn help yourself.
Do you want to measure your success? Just ask yourself, how are you spending your time?