You don't have to have a dollar figure attached to success, of course, but play with the concept however you wish to define it. I guarantee using your personal image of success as a litmus test for your current decisions will help you spot numerous subtle and powerful ways to bring your energies in alignment with your desired goal achievement. From the television shows you watch to the food you eat to the people you spend time with and the things you read, simply asking yourself, "Would I agree to this if I were successful? Is this consistent with where I want to be heading in my life?" will help you weave together all these seemingly tangential choices into an integrated lifestyle pattern that will give you more energy and momentum.
What do energy, momentum, and integration give you? Freedom. Freedom to say yes when you mean yes and no when you mean no; Firm boundaries make one a better gatekeeper so energy drains don't get a chance to accumulate, allowing you more freedom to devote yourself to what you most want to create; Establishing a solid foundation of self-respect and integrated healthy habits which demonstrate that self-respect will give you more energy.
Having clear standards for where you are willing to let your energy be spent only strengthens the foundation, creating a self-sustaining cycle in which your activities actively support your path to success.
Article comments
1 - Kathy
Excellent article!! This is most motivational piece I've ever read, so thanks!
2 - Laura
Glad to be of service Kathy! Feel free to kick around the rest of my articles here as well as at my blog for more on this and many other personal development topics.
Happy surfing!
L
3 - christiana
wonderful article!
4 - Margaret Horn
Well-written. I'm tired of reading blogs with grammatical errors (excuse my sentence fragment) and stylistic problems. Some of the article seemed mere rhetoric; in other words, you were comparing apples to apples. However, what you're suggesting is kind of a mind gymnastics (shift the way you're thinking), and perhaps that works for some readers. I certainly don't want a six-figure income. I guess I'm the artsy-fartsy type. I'm also chronically ill, which is one of the reasons I never get anything done. I would be interested in seeing an article on how to be productive when ill! I liked that you referred to Twyla Tharp. (Margaretsstrangeworld.net)