Why Success Should Never Be Your Target
March 9, 2011 in Personal Development
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Albert Schweitzer (Theologian, Physician, Philosopher, and Musician)
When you think about success what does it bring to mind? For many it will be material things like the big house, the flash sports car, or the luxurious yacht sitting in the marina. You may regard the lifestyles of the rich and famous – dining at the best restaurants, holidaying in exotic locations, and attending all manner of society events – as the sure signs of success.
But are they the true indicators?
Certainly all these things are the results of having the money to afford them and that may have come as a result of some sort of success or achievement. But the reality is that the people enjoying them will usually have got them in one of two ways. Either they were born into rich families and know no different, or they have made their money in some enterprise. If it’s the latter then it is highly unlikely they would have achieved those results without doing something they love.
Emotions and thoughts are not just about the mind. For the past twenty years or so, scientists have developed a vast body of work that proves that our emotions and thoughts influence our physical bodies and health. It is common knowledge that stress, negative emotions, and bad thought patterns lead to many physical ailments. Since companies lose many billions of dollars due to employees who are ill, the physical effects of mental states are a key concern for managers and employers. Quite simply, if negative emotions or thoughts lead to ill health it can affect the way that you feel and the way that you deal with the goals that you have set for yourself.
One of the ways that you can recognize your goals and start to strive towards meeting them, is by using coaching techniques. Coaching can be essential part of communicating with yourself and the people in your life. When you enter into the coaching process you learn how to achieve success in your career and in your personal life. A coach will work with you to help you recognize, realize, and achieve your goals, expectations, and dreams. 
Goals and motivation are closely linked together since without motivation you’ll never achieve those goals. Motivation has become a multi-billion dollar business in this country, with people turning to spiritual leaders, workshops, and even professional motivators in order to find the incentive and energy to achieve their goals. Motivation is the incentive that you need to strive towards those goals that you want to meet in your life.
There are three important elements for your personal and professional success: (1) the attitude that you have toward your personal and professional life, (2) the beliefs you model your personal and business life around, and (3) the behavior that you have towards yourself and others. These three elements are tightly connected and interwoven, and can either make or break the personal and professional confidence with which you set, and meet, your goals.