Catholic Husband

Love / Lead / Serve

You Define Your Success

Success is the currency that we all chase. No matter what we do, we seek success.

The tricky thing with success is that there isn’t a clear definition. There is no universal definition of success. We know it when we see it, but we can’t fully articulate it.

When I started writing, I spent a considerable amount of time trying to define what success in my writing looked like. After studying and pondering this question, I came to the following conclusion. It is wise to define success based on variables that you can control.

When we define ourselves as successful measuring with or using  variables that we cannot completely control, we deny ourselves the right to be happy. We are happy when we have reached a level of success.

If I told myself that I’ll be a success when I play in my first Major League Baseball game, I may never make my mark. I could help 10,000 people, revolutionize myself, be the best husband, but still consider myself a failure. I can’t control the variable of being called up to the Big Leagues.

However, if I define myself as successful when my family’s needs are taken care of, my wife is my number one priority, and I always apply myself fully to whatever I’m doing, then success is attainable.

That is not to say that you should make it easy. You can’t lie to yourself. You can’t completely fool yourself. Make it challenging, make it a behavior that must be done consistently over time. But make it attainable.

Stop using other people’s definition of success. Set goals, make them reachable, and pursue them relentlessly.