The first thing to know about envisioning success is this: it’s not as obvious as it may seem.
I had client who was nearly killing herself to support a decadent urban lifestyle that brought her very little happiness.
She kept assuming at some point she would hit an income level that would provide satisfaction. For years she pushed herself to earn more and have more.
[Tweet “Your actual material needs and wants may be quite different from what you think.”]
When I asked her to really look at her true material desires, she realized she actually wanted to be in a smaller, quieter town where she could live on a vast acreage. She had been chasing and living a definition of success that simply didn’t work for her.
I share her story to illustrate that when you envision success, you need to look internally. Don’t defer to external ideas of success or old assumptions.
The Envisioning Process
Make sure you have at least an hour of quiet, uninterrupted time. Sit down with your iPad, computer or journal.
Here are three aspects of material success for you to brainstorm:
- Envision Your Home: What type of physical environment is most suited to you? What would bring you satisfaction? Comfort? Satisfaction?
- Envision Your Career: How would you like to be earning your living 2 years from now? 5 years from now? What aspects of your career give you the greatest sense of fulfillment?
- Envision Your Lifestyle: What resources and material possessions do you need to support the lifestyle you want? This can include anything from daycare support or a maid service, to a vacation home or new car.
Leadership Development: Let your success vision be a crystal-clear, but evolving concept. Get as specific as you can now, and add color and texture to your vision over time as you learn more about yourself.
If you liked this blog post, you’ll love my book Lead + Live Advanced: 6 Practices to Master the Art of Thriving.
Lisa Martin has made it her mission to help companies keep and cultivate leaders. She’s the creator of the Lead + Live Better leadership programs, author of five books, including the bestselling Briefcase Moms, and she is a seasoned speaker, facilitator and executive coach.