To Realize your Dreams, Focus on Significance, not Success

"The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success, but on significance." - Oprah Winfrey

What if true fulfillment could be found not in what we achieve, but in the significance of what we do?

Often, when we think about setting goals for ourselves, we think about what we could have or do that would bring us great success. We dream of a promotion, being on TV, winning the lottery, going on exotic trips, and of the proverbial, shiny red corvette. All these things represent a form of success that we imagine being available for ourselves.

It seems reasonable that winning the lottery or getting a new car would increase our standard of living. After all, who couldn't use more money or a better car? However once we've made it to one level of success, we rarely take a moment to appreciate it before moving on to the next. The material object we desire has been captured, and the chase is over.

It is instances like this where we have failed to make a true difference in our own lives. By focusing on objects of success, rather than objects of significance, we have created a continuous cycle of disappointment.

How is focusing on success different from focusing on significance?

We all have a slightly different idea of what success is, based on our own opinions of what it takes to have, be, and do 'more' or 'better.' In this sense, the things we feel successful about are measurable things in our life. Getting the promotion means we have succeeded in acquiring a measurable result. Winning the lottery is a measurable result, as is making it onto Jeopardy(tm), visiting Nepal, or owning a corvette.

We also have our own opinions of what is significant in our lives. Our families, friends, spiritual commitments, and health are just a few examples. Sometimes we sacrifice experiences and actions that would make a profound impact in what we would consider significant in our lives, because we are blinded by the more appealing, "successful" solution that will make us look really good.

If your dream is for your children to grow up to be healthy, have solid values, and be productive citizens, which would make a more significant impact in their lives? You getting a high-paying job where you travel a lot and aren't home often, but have plenty of money to pay the bills, treat them to movies, and pay for their college tuition? Or would your dream more significantly be fulfilled by taking on a lower-paying job where you are home more, available to spend time with them creating memories, and allowing them to take on the responsibility of paying their way through school?

Neither of these options is "right" or "wrong", but they will each have a very different results. Each year millions of parents make decisions just like this, and many opt to be financially successful, because they equate having money to being a good parent. They were brought up, perhaps not having a lot of money, and recognize opportunities that they can make available to their kids using money as a tool.

For another example, let's say that since you started your marketing firm, your dream has been to help home-based businesses reach their market expansion dreams. Like all marketing and media firms, you are bombarded with opportunities to win awards and prestigious recognition for the work you do. The issue is that in order to win the awards and gain much desired exposure, you must alter the way you do business.

Will you continue to run your business in a way that significantly impacts the lives and futures of your clients? Or will you choose to chase the images of success that lie in awards and recognition? Is it possible to do both and still fulfill upon your mission?

If your dreams are a classroom, significance is the genuine learning experience, and success is a standardized test. While you are experiencing true learning and growth, you might learn what you need to ace the test, but when you teach only for the test, you miss out on a lot of wonderful experiences that aren't related to the final exam.

*** *** *** *** ** *** *** *** ***
Kimberly D. Wells specializes in goal setting and achievement. Find out more about the BE SMART Goal Achievement System at http://www.besmartgoals.com, or visit Kimberly's Blog to receive one-on-one goal setting advice: http://besmartgoals.blogspot.com
*** *** *** *** ** *** *** *** ***

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Achieving Your Goals

You may or may not have a set of written... Read More

Achieve Your Goals: Embodying Your Intentions to Inspire Manifestation

Bringing life to your ideas is what helps them to... Read More

Achieve Your Goals By Eating The Frog And The Elephant

Brian Tracy, the great motivational guru, often suggests that people... Read More

eaziGOAL Review: Practical Goal Setting Tools for Everyone

I love the internet. I mean, anything at all you... Read More

Jules Obtains the Jewels

Jules Asner, the current cohost of E! News Daily, along... Read More

Maximizing The Time of Your Life

Setting goalsSetting personal and business goals are a must if... Read More

How To Rise Above The Clutter In Your Brain

Ever notice when you start a new hobby or fall... Read More

How To Create Your Very Own DREAMWALL!

A great way of attuning yourself daily to what your... Read More

Idiots Guide to Goal Setting: 5 Steps to Success

Weve all read about personal goal setting. Weve all tried... Read More

Achieving Elusive Goals

Everyone has something in their life that they would like... Read More

What is The Right Action That Leads To Your Ultimate Goals?

What is the right thing I need to do to... Read More

Combining the Mind and Effective Goal-Setting

Goals are of vital importance in our lives. Many of... Read More

Simple Ways to Super-Charge Your Goals and Make Them Work!

Goals. Most people have a love-hate relationship with goals. They... Read More

Ten of My Favorite Quotes About Goals

1. Duke (Edward Kennedy) Ellington (1899-1974) American Composer Bandleader and... Read More

Seven Steps To Planning A Successful Future

Being successful in life is difficult unless you ensure you... Read More

Achieve Your Goal

Have you seen those ads that promise to make thousands... Read More

Top 10 Tools to Reach Your Goals Quickly

We all have dreams and goals. Some of them are... Read More

7 MUST-HAVE Conditions To Goal Setting

The three keys to living without limits have always been... Read More

Focus on Your Goals

Focus is the single most important factor that will determine... Read More

Want to Learn Something New Today?

How many times do you say, "Gee, I wish I... Read More

Why Success With Goal Setting Is A Myth! Heres What You Really Need...

Every person who succeeded at a high level, in any... Read More

Is that W-A-L-R-U-S?

A few years back, I went to London, England. I... Read More

Making The Goal-Setting Process a Partnership

MAKING GOALS: Effective and motivational goals engage employees in work... Read More

Got Purpose? Part 2

I guess I found some hot buttons last week eh?... Read More

Pretend Interest and Apathy... What To Do About Them!

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary "apathy is defined as the following:... Read More

Know What You Want Out Of Life

At this point in time you have an opportunity to... Read More

The Value of Focus in Reaching Your Goals

"One aught never to turn one's back on a threatened... Read More

Creative Visualization: How to Supercharge Your Goal Setting

Do you know the single best way to "supercharge" any... Read More

Top Ten Ways to Achieve Your Goals

1) Write them down! Statistics show people who write down... Read More

Priorities

Last month's edition of Footprints and Monuments was about living... Read More

The Painless Solution To Procrastination

I have a confession to make. Once upon a time,... Read More

Create Your Path to Success - Achieve Key Goals

Creating your path to success depends on walking on a... Read More

Master Your Destiny

Do you have a goal for the future that you... Read More