What drives our need for Success?
Most often when we think of success, we look at people who are financially wealthy or appear in the news and headlines. We think of people who have their outer world image in check and have the things we want.
We less often look at how full their calendars are or how much time they have with their loved ones and families. Or are they able to take long holidays or time off without the worry in the wind.
We don’t seem to associate Success with our internal freedom, clarity, and peace of mind nor Emotional balance. Or Design a Lifestyle that allows you to do and be with the people whom you choose and where you choose to.
As I wrote in my previous LinkedIn Poll, (which was about our biggest professional drivers) money and external success is important, there is little to no debate about that, but there must be more fulfilling aspects and elements for us to do what we do and why we show up to Life.
A good place and space to start is defining what Success means to us?
How can I say I have succeeded or that I’m successful? Is it the number in my bank account or the number of days per year that I get to spend with my family & friends?
Again, more than likely there is more than one success factor that makes us feel that we are a success.
Finding what success means to us often takes a little bit of deep digging and introspection.
Now you might say: “I don’t have time for that stuff, I’m too busy with my work.”
If that’s the case, and especially if you haven’t found the deeper underlying reason and driver for you, then don’t be surprised if you end up burning your candle from it’s both ends!
Once we can say that what it is that truly drives us, makes us wake up excited and ready for success, then the Game becomes more about the game itself than the outcomes or results.
Not to say that results don’t matter, of course they do. It is just that they lose a little bit of their tight grip on us, and we can act and come from a different space.
From a Mental and emotional state that is more relaxed and optimized yet highly driven and purpose-filled!
The Success Drivers
I personally have found tremendous benefits from Cal Newport’s work and a way of seeing value in doing what he calls Deep Work.
He writes that a sense of Purpose, Mastery of our craft, and Autonomy in our professional life are the biggest sources of true fulfillment!
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We are told to find our single-origin drive like it’s a rare air highland coffee plantation in some distant Columbian mountain district. But more often than not it is two or more of these deeper elements that are our true drivers.
For me, I have a multifaceted approach and I like to explore life, a lot. I have several drivers as well as passions that I want to pursue. For some, it is distracting yet for me it keeps me active and interested in life at large.
Saying that many people are highly driven with a single-minded drive when it comes to their professional life.
As we are living in a highly specialized world where experts are needed more than generalists it can make sense to put the blinders on and just Focus on your “One Thing.”
The work that makes you come alive and produce your best quality output!
To my own defense and justification of the multiprong approach, as David Epstein writes in his book Range, “generalists” are also very much needed, especially in leadership positions.
After all, the highest-ranking officers in the army are called “Generals.” Go figure that out! 😉
Ultimately the point is to find out what drives us and motivates us to wake up in the morning for another healthy pursuit towards our own Success.
Looking deeper within and finding out what is it that gets us to be at our best more of the time is a suitable place to start.
For me, it has always been to be able to live the lifestyle that I had internally designed for myself.
And finally, as the cover image pretty much sums up my personal Life's mission for me:
"The idea is to die young, as late as possible"
If you are yet to find out what truly drives your daily behavior, it is something that is definitely and most certainly worth exploring.
Happy hunting!
All Green Lights,
Tuomo
PS. I'm always interested to hear how these ideas resonated with you today?
Co-Founder - AlignH Trading & Distribution | Food Services Industry | Leadership Student | Jazz Enthusiast | Book Nerd
3yTuomo Vauhkonen, once again thank you for a very insightful newsletter. As voted in your previous poll, my professional drivers at this stage of my career and life is, "Purpose and Meaning". That translates into my picture of success, which is knowing that I was able to have a positive influence on at least one person (well, truthfully more than one), which in turn spurned them on to achieve great things in their own right. PS!! I just love your mission: "The idea is to die young, as late as possible."
reTHINK-Learn=Work=Chanc(g)e Research Scientist | e-worker | Mindsetter | Motivator | On-site and Remote research #futureofwork #workfromhome #onlinelearning #mindset
3yTuomo Vauhkonen For me, success means that I can do what I like, in a place where I feel good, in a way that I like. It also means being around people I love. "The idea is to die young, as late as possible", I think each of us would like to have a memorable life trying to delay dying for as long as possible. In my culture we used to say: LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG. What about this approach: the idea is to live a good life staying young even we die old? Well done Tuomo! 🙏