Read time: 3 minutes
In today’s issue we’re going to be discovering, or re-discovering, what success looks like to you.
The problem is so many of us define our success on factors that aren’t in our control, the external, leaving us unfulfilled even if we achieve them.
So often we create goals and dreams without knowing what success actually means to us.
We’re focusing on the wrong type of success
We’re getting caught up too much on extrinsic (external) motivations.
I’ve been there before during my career, focusing on these motivators but I never felt enough when I achieved them.
🏆 Extrinsic motivations:
- fame
- status
- prestigious groups
- money
If we simply look external, there will never be enough; there will always be more.
They are out of our control, never assured, and bring tension, anxiety, pressure, and fatigue.
But when we look inward, we uncover motivations we can control 100%.
Here’s what they look like:
😌 Intrinsic motivations:
- enjoying the process
- learning something new
- living to your values
- doing your best.
So here’s a step-by-step process to help us, acknowledge our extrinsic and intrinsic motivations and create a success statement.
1️⃣ Find your extrinsic motivations
Grab a notepad or your journal.
The first step is to outline what your extrinsic motivations are.
Note: Extrinsic motivations aren’t all bad. They drive us forward. Get us out of bed. We need money to live and it’s satisfying to see the results of our efforts.
So it’s important we recognise what is driving us.
Write down what your extrinsic motivations may be.
Use the list below to guide you:
The ultimate failure 👇
While they aren’t in themselves bad, these motivators are not entirely in our control.
When we focus purely on the extrinsic motivations, at the expense of our intrinsic motivations, we often feel a gap or emptiness in our lives.
If our focus is solely on extrinsic, we may achieve, but never feel fulfilled.
Success without happiness is the ultimate failure.
Jim Carey said it so well…
That’s where step 2 becomes one of the most important exercises of our life.
2️⃣ Define your intrinsic motivations
Now it’s time to outline your intrinsic motivations.
The reasons behind what you do based on the fact it makes you feel good.
Here’s a list of intrinsic motivations examples to get you started:
3️⃣ Define your success statement
Finally we’re going to define your success through a statement.
This is where you take your motivations a describe what success looks like to you.
To give an example, my success statement is:
“Success is pursuing my ambitions while being true to who I am, my values all while knowing that the outcomes are still not guaranteed.”
When you can simply and effectively define what your success looks like, from your intrinsic motivators, you allow the expectations of results, rewards or recognition to fall away.
Leaving you with more space to find happiness and enjoyment in pursuit of your goals.
See you next week!
Lewis
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