Success can be many things, but it most definitely isn’t just one thing. Most people, when they think about what success is, focus only on the monetary aspect of it. While they aren’t wrong, it’s just one part of the story.
As I see it, there are four parts of success that you need to stay focused on. They are career, relationship, spirituality, and health. There are a lot of success gurus out there that want you to focus on the grind. On the hustle. They say to work 80-120 hour weeks so that one day you don’t have to. The problem here is that working that kind of schedule limits your ability to focus on the relationships of your life, your health, and your spirituality.
Think about it this way. Imagine that you’re sitting on a four-legged chair. It’s sturdy. It doesn’t wobble. Now imagine removing a leg. You can still sit in the chair, but you have to lean to one side because leaning towards the missing leg will cause you to fall. Now, remove another. How hard is it now? Not impossible, but not easy. You’re missing the support you need. Now, remove the third leg. How hard it to stay balanced? Almost impossible. You have to rely on that one leg and concentrate with everything you have to ensure that the chair doesn’t fail you. To ensure that you don’t fall. The hustle and grind mentality is kind of like that. Only focusing on one part of success will severely limit your ability to achieve the balanced life you crave.
I think it’s important to note that I’m not speaking out against working hard to achieve your monetary goals. Instead, I’m talking against working on it so hard that you neglect the relationships of your life, your spirituality, and your health.
I’ll be writing more about these in the coming weeks but let’s break down the four parts of success real quick.
Monetary– this is easy. This is your job, your career, your investments, or your own business. This is how you make money to live.
Relationships– This is your spouse, your family, your children, and even your coworkers, employees, and customers. Having healthy, productive relationships are paramount to a happy life.
Spirituality– I’m a Christian. So for me, this is about having a real relationship with God. For you, it could be something else. Spirituality is about giving meaning and purpose to your life. It’s about the way you experience connectedness to the moment, yourself, and others.
Health– this is about taking care of your mind and body. Both your physical and mental health are important aspects of success.
Each of the parts mentioned above intertwines with the others. Each one helps to multiply the force of the other, which is why it’s so important to focus on all four at the same time. Living a balanced life takes work, but once you start thinking in terms of career, relationships, spirituality, and health, instead of just one or two, you are better able to see how everything fits together. It’s like a puzzle, with each piece you get a better idea of the bigger picture.
Do this. When writing your goals down, make sure that you make goals for career, relationships, spirituality, and health. Each bucket is important. You’re important. Make a difference in your own life so that you can better make a difference in other peoples lives.