I think each person has their own definition of success. In order to achieve yours, you must first identify what your goals are, which we will do in this book. But before we get to that, I’d like to take a moment to share with you my perspective on how I define success, and perhaps it will help give you some inspiration.
There’s nothing wrong with making money and building wealth, but if your version of success is solely dependent on this, then you are likely to be disappointed. Success is more than just achieving material goals—it’s about living a fulfilling life, complete with the people who matter most to you and the experiences that shape your character. It is about becoming better every day, doing the things you love to do, and helping others without expecting anything in return.
Success is not only related to your earnings, but also involves your lifestyle, fitness, social relationships, and even hobbies. It’s about having the freedom to do and live what kind of life you want to live, when you want tolive it. It’s not a destination; it’s a journey and a process.
You can never achieve success by simply accomplishing a goal or reaching one milestone. Success is achieved by how you live every day in the process. If you don’t enjoy and find purpose in every step of the journey, then you aren’t truly successful, even if you do reach your end goal or milestone.
That is the problem in defining success with money. The more money you make, the more you spend, and you’ll become like Sisyphus trying to roll your boulder up a hill with no end. Money is not evil, but it can also become an addiction, which can make you chase wealth only to lose your relationships and peace of mind in the process. That’s why you should always use your money and time wisely, and put more emphasis on building relationships and developing yourself, rather than just chasing money. The key here is that you enjoy yourself during the whole process, by focusing on the things that truly matter to you.
Ultimately, success is something that should be defined by you and not by somebody else, since it is your life and yours only. Once you have determined what success is for you, you can now set your goals to achieve it.
Clear your mind. Decide what you want in your life, and commit to success.
