Success vs. Successful

Some recent pondering has me considering the whole idea of being successful.  I think we can find success and happiness without worrying about being successful.  On the contrary, a focus on success alone is more likely to lead us to short-term goals and fulfillment over the long run.

Success Is Tactical

The beautiful thing about determining success is that it is well-defined.  We either achieve a goal (and thus success), or we do not.  This is often a black or white situation.  I either complete my tasks to find success, or I do not.  The length of time required to find success varies, but it is often a single cycle or short period.  For example, a team can win a championship in a season to find success, or you can find it in your current project.  

These short bursts (for success) are easy to manage and evaluate.  The black or white nature makes it this way.  Therefore, you either push and find success, or you do not.  That allows you to regroup after the attempt to recharge and plan for your next success.   This is true even for things like a marathon.  You run the race and then can recover.  This allows you to maintain a higher level of productivity and gives you time to enjoy your successes.  Those periodic highs from that enjoyment, along with the shorter time spent dwelling on failure, allow us to maintain an even keel.  

Being Successful Is Strategic

The problem with being successful is that it is not well defined.  There are no real parameters you can use to measure achieving this lofty goal.  That means you can experience success a hundred times without being successful.  On the other hand, you can find success once and decide to be successful.  That is also known as quitting while you are ahead.  While we often try to compare ourselves to the idea of being successful, that is a fool’s errand.  It is meaningless in the grand scheme of things.  Therefore, focus on success and ignore the concept of being successful.

The Right Answer

Let’s think about that all so western goal of being successful.  When you reflect on your life or asked whether you consider yourself to have achieved that goal, there is only one answer.  That answer is affirmative.  Decide that you have gained enough success to stop worrying about it on a macro level.  Our friends in the twelve-step programs have it right.   While it can be fun to celebrate a long string of successes, keep your focus on a day at a time.  In the end, that will lead you to a higher chance of achieving your goals no matter what their nature is.