Sunday 8 July 2012

Common Standards of Personal Success

Although personal success is a subjective concept, there are still general standards that constitute success. You can't simply call yourself successful by claiming that having poor health and no financial security is your idea of success. Success is a life of balance, a life that provides you with all your personal needs and desires. When certain needs or desires are not met, then lifestyle changes have to be made. The most basic standard for success is genuine fulfillment. If you can honestly say that you are satisfied with every area of your life, then you can say that you've achieved success. Here are five areas of your life that you have to consider before resting on the laurels of success.

1. Personal success means you're not struggling financially.
It's hard to consider yourself a success when every day is a struggle for survival. Although some people enjoy the intensity of living on the edge, there is a difference between a doctor or a volunteer who fights to save lives and a person who has to borrow money from loan sharks just to pay the rent. Genuine fulfillment can be achieved without amassing wealth, but there is still some need to find some semblance of financial comfort to be able to feel successful.

2. Personal success means that you're not lonely.
A big income alone does not necessarily make one successful. If you have to devote every waking moment to the job you have in order to maintain your large income, there's a great possibility that you don't have time for friends or even relatives. Genuine fulfillment can't be achieved just by amassing wealth. The joy is not building wealth, but in sharing and enjoying it with friends and loved ones. Take the time to foster relationships. Money can't but the joys true friendship may bring.

3. Personal success means that you're healthy.
Health is a big part of what you should consider standards of success. Every hour you spend sick in bed is an hour you're not achieving goals. In order to maintain a dynamic lifestyle, you have to find the time to exercise. Sometimes work has a tendency to take over our lives. We make adjustments according to the demands of our job. If we need to work longer, we compromise our exercise habits. If we need shorter lunch breaks, we order unhealthy fast food. However, these are not signs of a successful lifestyle. Genuine fulfillment can be found in knowing that you can afford to eat right and live right. If your job is causing your health to deteriorate, it's not the right job for you.

4. Personal success means looking well.
It might sound vain or shallow to say that personal appearance matters. We've always heard how it's what's on the inside that matters. However, how much you take care of your own hygiene and appearance also tells people about the type of person you are. We define ourselves in many ways. We express ourselves in our clothes, hair style or even our choice of cologne. There is nothing wrong with wanting to appear respectable. In fact, you may find genuine fulfillment in the process.

5. Personal success means having the time to indulge in the arts.
When was the last time you saw a play? Do you remember who performed in the last concert you attended? Have you ever tried painting, photography or poetry? Art is a venue where we can express our creativity. Art engages the mind and allows it to experiment and think outside the box. Every individual has an insatiable urge to create something he or she can call her own. If your urge to be creative is not satisfied by your profession, try delving in art. You may find genuine fulfillment in being able to express yourself in new ways.

Don't rest on your laurels just yet. Maybe the reason why you think you've achieved personal success is because you're only considering one aspect of it. You don't have to achieve more than you already have if you're completely content with your life, but to experience genuine fulfillment, you should have a balanced life. To earn that, you shouldn't be afraid of taking on new goals and challenges as your success level progresses.

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