For me, what is the difference between success and significance?

Sunday, March 31st, 2024

Who doesn’t love a little alliteration? The initial similarity between "success" and "significance" masks a deeper distinction once we substituting "importance" for "significance" the question then becomes: What truly matters, achieving personal goals or leaving a lasting impact?

While "success" and "significance" sound similar, they differ greatly. Success is about short-term goals, while significance is about lasting impact. Leaders often chase success, but true fulfillment lies in pursuing significance, leaving a positive legacy beyond immediate achievements. This requires a broader perspective, considering the impact on others. By understanding this distinction, we can communicate a more compelling vision and create a ripple effect of positive change.

Below, I offer some recommended resources to assist us with the question of the week. I’ll post my reflection before the end of the week on YouTube .?

Resources to Complement Our Reflection

[Internalize]: Winning isn’t something that happens to you but something you build, something you fight for, a way of living that dictates everything about how you do your life. Surround yourself with people who are better than you, and you will see your work product and work ethic improve. Losing is the main ingredient to success. When we forgive ourselves for our mistakes, we give ourselves permission to be successful again. Success is a moving target and constantly changing. Don’t let a past description drive your current path.?

[Apply]: Send a note to a friend, peer, mentor or role model who’s work or work ethic is inspirational.

Read: 12 Overlooked Ways to Improve Your Success - 4 mins. - Psychology Today

[Internalize]: If you need to do things and have things to feel significant then you will always be chasing the next thing. The problems arise when we begin to derive significance from our success. We are already significant. Success follows significance. Significance should never follow success. You’re significant whether you have a lot of money or a little bit of money. You’re significant whether you have a big house or a little house. Some of us are more significant and we have less stuff because they’re not tied together.?

[Apply]: Affirm to yourself: I am significant because I am human, not because of my success.?

Listen: Significance vs Success - 4 mins. - Daily Mind Medicine

[Internalize]: One of the greatest paradoxes is our inability to access our true feelings about important matters. What we really think about the character of a friend, or the next best move we should make in our career. All of our conclusions on such critical topics can remain locked inside us, part of us but inaccessible to ordinary consciousness. We prioritize feeling normal over the jolt of exploring the true self. The answers we want are already there waiting for us. We just need to make the time to check-in on our true selves.

[Apply]: Close your eyes for 30 - 60 seconds today and think about something of material importance to you (i.e. a spouse, work decision, recent disagreement) and ask: What is coming up for me here? What do I really think? What is the real issue here? What is truly going on? What is actually at stake? What is my gut feeling?

Watch: How to Find Out What You Really Really Think and Why - 4 mins. - The School of Life

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Last Week’s Reflection

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The Learning Loop is a free weekly newsletter designed to help subscribers learn on purpose. Each week subscribers receive one thoughtfully curated, timely question with a brief explanation behind why it's important and a couple of relevant resources to help subscribers with their learning journey.

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