Success and monetary achievement have always been an important and respected part of our American way of life. But now, in today's turbulent times, we need to take a giant step back and wonder if we've been defining "success" far too narrowly for far too long. Today, even in business circles, it's no longer just about making money (although that's still important) - it's about making meaning. It's about valuing our core values. In fact, many major companies are not only underscoring their core values on the front page of their annual reports - they are trying to walk the talk. Today's great companies realize that customers buy valuables from companies they value. It's that simple.

Let's face it; over the years having a successful career has typically been the way to achieve the so-called American dream. Our education and well-honed skills were acquired to get ahead and succeed - sometimes at all costs. As we happily leaped through every professional hoop presented to us, is it any wonder that most of us have come to define ourselves solely by our careers or profession? Let's make it crystal clear: Your career identifies what you do - not necessarily who you are. Ask yourself these courageous questions: Who are you at your very core? When you strip away the veneer are you just a business executive, professor, or sales and marketing maven? The fact is you might also be a father, a mother, a good friend or perhaps a volunteer that cares deeply about your community.

Having a successful career presents only one blueprint for success. Remember, what you do for a living is very important but it's not the totality of who you are. So don't limit your success by the labels of your career or profession! True success involves a lot more than striving for that corner office, reaching for that next pay raise, or keeping up with the next-door neighbor. True success always involves reaching out to others - beyond ourselves. But achieving the kind of total success is clearly no easy task. The path to achieving true success is often strewn with potholes and boulders. But here are a few things we can do:

 

 

1. Take it personally - If we take the same amount of time and energy planning our personal lives as we do our business life or career we would likely live a more meaningful, balanced and personally enriched life. In short, strive to make it your business to turn your life into your most successful venture yet!

 

2. Be authentic - Remember, it's never too late to become the you, you were meant to be. When you are truly authentic... your customers, your employees, your family and those that matter most in your life will rally around you. Ultimately your destiny will unfold by the choices you make, not just in business life, but also on your personal life as well. How many people do you know that have a wonderful career but a totally dysfunctional family life at home? When you choose to be authentic, you're well on your way to becoming the person you were always meant to be. Unfortunately, too many of us look in the mirror and no longer recognize the person looking back. So let me say this: if you have to give up who you really are to get somewhere, perhaps it's somewhere you ought not to go. What good is it if we're totally wired for business, but short circuit our individual souls in the process? Perhaps, Shakespeare echoed it best,"This above all - to thine own self be true."

 

3. Build your personal brand - To be truly authentic, we all need to do some personal brand building. Think of it like this; you are the C.E.O. of your own personal brand. It's not Nike, it's not Apple, it's not Citibank. You're in charge of a vitally important brand called Me, Inc. When you continue to build your own brand you are in essence creating a pulpit for who you are and what makes you unique that creates value to others.

 

4. Live a life of purpose - One of the real tragedies in life is not to have a purpose. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "The purpose of life should be a life of purpose." But here's the problem: most of us don't have a clue as to what our true purpose is on this planet. In fact, a research study by Dr. William Morton asked 3,000 people what their true purpose in life was; and a whopping 94% responded that they had absolutely no idea. I'll tell you what unhappiness is - unhappiness is not knowing what you want and killing yourself to get it!

 

5. Revel in your uniqueness -There will never be another you in recorded history. Each one of us represents a distinct and unique miracle. We should revel in our uniqueness. We should respect our unique strengths and attributes and use them to bring value and happiness to others.

 

6. Increase your self worth -Ask yourself this time-honored question: If I'm so successful, why am I not happier? When it comes to happiness, try not to fall into the trap of allowing your net worth to determine your self worth! As a matter of fact, some people refer to the good old USA as the "United States of Anxiety." We are among the best fed and highest paid people in the world, but we don't even rank in the top 10 countries when it comes to happiness. Latin American countries, Scandinavia and New Zealand are at the top of the happiness list. Here in the U.S.A., we rank no higher than Slovenia! We are still learning in our wonderful country that true happiness is striking the delicate balance between making money and making meaning.

 

7. Don't limit yourself by labels -Remember what you do is important, but it's not the totality of whom you are. Author Joe Robinson suggests we carry an ID card with two sides. One side would have your title or profession, the other side would describe the authentic you, the you at your very core.

 

8. Set quantifiable personal goals - Well-written goals are the basic staple of high achievers. Even your personal goals need to be specific. Goals are always quantifiable; they have time and numbers attached to them. A personal goal would be: I'd like to lose 10 pounds over the next eight weeks and keep that weight off forever through a sensible diet and exercise program. Think of it like this: Goals are really dreams with deadlines attached to them.

 

9. Stand for something - When it comes to our core values like our integrity and honesty, it all boils down to this: we are what we value. As Alexander Hamilton once pined, "Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything." We need to strive to live by our core values each and every day. In short, we need to walk the talk. As the great American philosopher Elvis Presley once said, "Values are like finger paints, nobody's are the same, but we leave them all over everything we do."

 

10. Unlock your personal dreams - Many of us put our personal dreams on hold for the sake of others or for that matter, a fatter bonus or bigger paycheck. Don't let your personal dreams become monuments to your good intentions. Define what matters most and let your personal dreams fly high - certainly as high as your career goals. Each of us is only given a certain number of heartbeats; so don't squander your precious time living a life of regrets by living someone else's dream. Remember all those world-class dreams you had when you were still attending Columbia? Well, the perfect time to act on them is now. Life is too short. You don't want to harbor any regrets. There's this wonderful quote by John Barrymore that puts our personal dreams in focus: "A man is not old until his regrets take the place of his dreams." So, harbor no regrets. If you want to achieve true success go out and make money, but also make meaning.