What Is Real Success - When Will You Know You Have Succeeded?

Success is defined in different ways by different people and each individual may come up with a personal recipe of what is real life success.
So what creates our perceptions of Life Success and how can we align our decisions and actions in tune with our vision of success?
First of all let's clarify two concepts of Life Success. There is the superficial idea of Life Success that immediately springs to mind in most cases - this is the typical riches, fame, fast cars, great job, business and power that provide a sense of material achievement.
Then there is True Life Success. This is more related to a feeling that provides us with an intrinsic sense of fulfilment.
So what is real Life Success and how will you know you have achieved it?

• True Life Success is not related to WHAT you have but WHO you become in the process of journeying through life's experiences. It is about having that sense of fulfilment and self-actualization that comes with experience, learning and the choices we take in life. So rather than the riches you accumulate it is more about the personality and insightful awareness you attain. If you feel that you are fulfilled with your life that in itself is a sign of True Life Success.
• Identifying what will be your True Life Success- what will give you true fulfilment in life normally revolves around your Principles and Life Values. Unless you are clear about your Core Values and Principles you will end up chasing just material success and this may give a sense of emptiness and lack of fulfilment because through a lack of self-awareness you will not be honoring what you truly value in life. You could be the richest man in life but unless you are intrinsically wealthy you will still feel poor emotionally and spiritually. Thus, if you know clearly what your 10 Core Values are; if you have a sense of what your Purpose in life is and if you know what your intrinsic traits and abilities are, this will put you in a better position to know what Life Success will look like.
• Once you have a clear idea of what you Value in life and what is the purpose for which you live, you will have a clear yardstick against which to measure your success. The yardstick will be your Values and the goals you are creating in your Wheel of Life areas. So ask yourself:
  • Do my goals flow in congruence with my Life Values and Purpose?
  • Is my career in alignment with my Beliefs and Values? Does it provide the intrinsic fulfilment that makes me feel I are truly doing the work that I was called upon to do?
  • Are my relationships fulfiling? Am I investing enough time in them?
  • Am I happy with the state of my health and how much I take care of myself?
  • Am I enjoying and having fun in my life?
  • Am I growing as a person and am I having new experiences which expand my life references?
  • Am I happy with my social life and friends?
  • Does the environment I live in, including my house, sustain me?
  • Do I feel spiritually connected?
  • Do I feel that if I were to die tomorrow I would be able to leave a contribution and legacy?
  • Does it feel like I am fitting neatly in the jigsaw puzzle that is life?

If you go through and answer the questions honestly you will gain a good idea of what will give you the feeling of True Success in life and it will also pinpoint areas you may want to work on to increase your intrinsic fulfilment.