One of my mentors, Reed Moore, challenged me with the perspectives surrounding being accomplished and successful. Here is my recap of my interpretation of these perspectives.
Accomplishment is a word we regularly associate with success. It is the steps we take to achieve to get us what we want — or does it get us what we want? The thing is, you can be accomplished without being successful.
The work we put into being successful is the work that actually counts. Accomplishing goals is certainly a part of being successful, the slippery slope is, when our accomplishments define us. Success, as a whole, is about becoming; it is the constant evolution into becoming a better human being. Success is foundational and it takes digging deep into the meaning of what we want our lives to look like and who we want to be.
How can someone, who is accomplished, not be successful? Well, that is a complex question. The simplest way to explain is in a story.
Imagine a man that sets his goals and hits them at a high level. He is wealthy, he has a nice car, a nice house, the perfect vision of what success “looks like”. Now imagine this person drinks heavily, he undercuts people to gain competitive advantages and he does not use his knowledge to improve the lives of his children or those around him. This man is accomplished and not becoming, he is stagnant and likely hollow. This person is not the definition of success based on this perspective.
I challenge you to define what success is in your life. Then, work towards evolving and becoming that person. Success to me is to constantly strive to make a positive impact on as many people as possible and to create generational opportunity-
— What is success to you?
