Success Is a Three Legged Stool

We all have our own definition and understanding of what success is and we strive towards being successful because society says it is important. What if success were a stool and the legs were what make up success. Unfortunately, we define success in two obvious ways and if the obvious ways we define success are legs of stool, we have a two legged stool. If that were the case, it is not a usable or very comfortable stool to say the least because you would have to try and balance the entire time. No, you need a minimum of three legs to keep it stable and usable. Think of success the same way, there are two obvious ways to define success and a third obscure way.

One obvious way we define success is money and the other way is status. Society has imposed upon us that in order to be successful you are defined by money and status and we strive towards our success. The challenge with chasing the money and status is that it will continually outdistance us and we are left dissatisfied. There is an obscure third way of success (or leg of the stool) and if you were to purse the third way, you actually accomplish the money and status as a by product. The third way to success is fulfillment. If you are fulfilled, money and status will come to you instead of you chasing them because fulfillment becomes your presence and your presence emerges very clearly and people become aware of your presence and you attract opportunities. With fulfillment, you have the third leg to success! To be fair, fulfillment is not easy and it will take a great amount of effort and time. Fulfillment, much like the most important things in life, can not be rushed.

So how can you attain fulfillment? Anchor points! (Huh? What are anchor points???)

• Create your anchor points - Anchor points are the things you are laying before you that are not to be compromised in life and career…key word is in life and career and not just career. It is created before you start your life journey or something to build in now if you are in your life journey.
• Tips on how to create anchor points – It is easy to say but how can one think about the words that identify who you are. The words don’t just materialize.? You need to be open to reflection and deep thoughts. There are a number of tools available and here are some that I find might help:

1) Ikigai – Ikigai is a Japanese word for finding one’s purpose. It asks for one to focus on four areas of their life: what you love to do; what you are good at; what can you earn money for; and what does the world need? Do an inventory for each of those and the centre point is your Ikigai. Think about what matters to you and fill in each area.

2) High 5 Test – This is an assessment tool that will result in five things that are important to you. Do the test and explore the definitions for your five words and see how if words resonate…or don’t. Here is the URL - https://high5test.com/

3) MBTI – This is also a free test online and you will get your four letters based on your responses. Again, explore what the letters are and Google your four letters and see what your strengths are. It is important to understand if the words resonate or not. Here is the URL - https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

4) Five Core Elements – This is my own organic home grown tool that has helped many. It is about reflecting on what you have done in work, school and social life and pulling words that might resonate. Once you explore your experiences, then ask yourself what was important that you appreciated about those experiences and words that might resonate with you. Here is the URL to a video created - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLvOPzpjFTM

• Focus on your anchor points – Once you have your base or anchor points, they are probably the most important way to gain fulfillment because it is going to provide you the direction you need to go to the things that are important to you. If you realize that your anchor points only service 1 out of 5 things that matter…DON’T QUIT YOUR JOB! No, instead focus on how to build more of the anchor points in or how do I prepare for the next leg of my journey?
• Take the time – Anchor points will take time to establish and they will change over time. You don’t just pick words; you need to really think about the words and if they resonate for you. Focus on what these words mean to you and you can even ask people around you for their support to come up with words.
• Look for the road signs – As you go on this journey called life, travel with your anchor points and don’t just think that this is it and now fulfillment will happen. No! Look for the road signs that will guide you in the direction you need to go, how far you need to go and any detours and turnoffs that you need to take.
• Find a coach – If you feel this is too much to take on by yourself and could feel overwhelming, then there is a lot of support out there in the form of a coach who may guide you to the direction you need to go. Now, their goal may be to support your journey but they may have different ways to get you there than the anchor points but the most important part is how it fits or resonates for you. If what a coach offers you makes you feel empowered, then go with that.

Bottom line, fulfillment is something that we feel is out of reach or unattainable. Actually, it is fully in reach and attainable but do you have the patience, the work ethic and drive to put your mind, body and soul to work on this? Are you prepared to be reflective and go deep within to realize your untapped potential? If so, you can have a three legged stool of success. Take a seat and let’s get started!