Discover the power of defining success daily and reprogramming your mind to create your reality.
I used to recoil from the numbered how-to lists.
7 habits, 5 tips, 3 ways…and a partridge in a pear tree.
I had a kind of disdain for spiritual clickbait.
Life is not a simple list.
Well, not inherently.
But lists provide order in a chaotic world.
It’s not that they're the truth, but they can help point in the direction of what's real.
I came across this compelling meme a while back and decided to test it out. 👇
I got stalled at number one.
“Define success at the beginning of every day.”
What is success?
And how do we measure it daily?
Many people think of success as something in the future, attained when all our goals are achieved.
But that is a carrot we never reach.
As Gertrude Stein said, “There is no there there.”
Initially, I liked this prompt solely because it asks us to examine success every day.
In this context, it acts like a compass, truing us up to what matters in our lives.
Are we on track with our goals, our purpose, our mission — or are we off course?
But then I saw a deeper meaning.
Define success.
It’s already a useful exercise to check in on where we are on our path, but what if we started paving it?
In other words, what if we chose to see success in every accomplishment, however small or seemingly insignificant?
When I began my personal growth journey many years ago, I discovered a major roadblock to virtually all my goals.
Life occurred like it was happening outside of me, like it was some great adventure movie and I was just sitting in the audience — along for the ride but with no say in the matter.
I had terribly low self-esteem and couldn’t imagine why someone would choose me.
For anything.
A friend of mine started me down the road of reprogramming my mind.
He suggested that every time anything good happened to me, I tell myself that it was because I’m a catch.
And I mean anything.
If the phone company called with a great offer, he’d ask me why.
The only acceptable response was, Because I’m a catch.
Why did you find that $5 bill?
Because I’m a catch?
Why did your boss like that story you produced?
Because I’m a catch.
Why did that cute guy ask you out?
Because I’m a catch!
It took time, and a willingness to laugh at the situation, and sometimes at myself, but the consistent repetition paid off (as he pointed out at my first wedding).
If we define success at the beginning of every day, we begin to design our lives outside the parameters of the acceptable norm.
We can colour outside the lines.
We can not just take the road less traveled, but we can clear a whole new one.
As we are influenced by an ever-increasing variety and volume of sources, it bears remembering and repeating that we can define success.
In this way, each day can be a success — regardless of the chaos and sometimes uncontrollable circumstances in our lives.
And experiencing success, feeling success in our bodies and minds, is the end game of any goal.
So why wait?
Define success.
Experience success.
The road to fulfilling your goals will already be paved.
(FYI, the meme’s author, Chris Guillebeau, has a treasure trove of unconventional thinking resources at chrisguillebeau.com)
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Interested in reprogramming your mind for success in any area?
Find out how to work with Michelle HERE.
I like this one. I always think I have to 'catch' up. Rarely if ever do I think I am a 'catch'. I am going take that on. Thanks Michelle!