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ArticlesKISSING SUCCESS GOODBYE
We all want to be successful, but what is success? Well, because we live in an economy (rather than a society now days) we are taught that success is driving a BMW, owning a mansion at Vaucluse and wearing the latest fashion labels. The majority of us seem to be on the treadmill of life, working towards trying to make the money to earn these social medals. As Ellen Goodman so well puts it, success in life is in actual fact "getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to the job that you need so that you can pay for the clothes, car and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it." Chasing societies definition of success rather than our own measure of success can take its toll – the price we have to pay is our own choice. Unfortunately all the tell-tail signs are staring us in the face with 42% of people feeling like life is a treadmill that they can’t get off and only 12% of the workforce is truly satisfied in the work they do. People are becoming more stressed out and living in less alignment with their values, and as such it is no surprise that there has been 58% increase in depressive drug usage over the last 3 years. The world is changing rapidly and the way we work is changing even more. Having a job for life just does not happen anymore. Economic instability, ever increasing technology and the ever increasing choices available to us add uncertainty to our life. As such, it is no wonder that many people are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with their lot in life and are looking for ways to combine living with working to achieve better balance and greater fulfilment. So how do we cope with the demands of change and keep ourselves happy and satisfied? People are beginning to redefine themselves and giving themselves more permission to focus on more meaningful priorities. The increasing dissatisfaction with balance in life is a global trend and is already changing the way we think about work. Because we spend 34% of our life at work it is important having fulfilling work that combines your interests, skills, values and personality and earns us enough money to balance your desired lifestyle. Yes it all takes time, focus, planning and persistence. But it is well worth the effort I promise you. So what is success? Because of my work I am in the very lucky position of being able to come in contact with everyone from Buddhist monks to truck drivers to CEO’s. At the end of the day, it is very clear to me that success is about being happy. Easy to say, but the trick is to work out what makes you truly happy? Being happy with your life is obviously about more than your work and your money (or lack of it). It is a combination of a number of the following life priorities:-
How much effort and energy are you putting into your top life priorities? Ian Hutchinson (G.Dip.Psy, B.Bus, APS), Founder of Life by Design®, has built a reputation as Australia's leading lifestyle strategist. He has studied overseas with some of the world's leaders in lifestyle planning, and his lifestyle strategy work has been profiled throughout the media. His entertaining presentations are in demand throughout the world including Europe and the Middle East. Life by Design® can be contacted by phone on (02) 9979 4949, or visit www.lifebydesign.com.au. For permission to reproduce this article article in whole or
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