Success – what’s your measure?

As we come into the New Year we often think about setting goals to measure our success. As an interesting aside, I recently got a flyer in the mail from a major sporting goods retailer. As I thumbed through it I noticed that there was nothing being advertised other than “fitness” items. What great marketing. The new year, everyone with their resolutions, and all sorts of things that if purchased are guaranteed to make you more fit in 2017. We all know the problem though. It’s the same one faced by all those folks that I compete with for space at the YMCA in January. The ones I never seem to see in May, or July, or September. We all have good intentions, but somehow we often don’t realize our lofty goals. Maybe we are tripped up by our definition of success.

So what is it about our definition of success that often makes success so elusive and in fact may be working against us actually experiencing it? I recently read something in Andy Stanley’s book Visioneeering that helped me see success from a different perspective. A perspective that not only allows me to enjoy a sense of success now but helps me continue to be experience success through the inevitable ups and downs of life.

As he defines it, “Success” is being faithful to what you’ve been called to do. He notes that, “There is a tendency to confuse success with the rewards of success.” We often look to a specific end point or achievement to define success, but as he describes it, those are just signposts or mile markers along the path of success. To remind us we are being successful. Sometimes those signposts seem few and far between, but that doesn’t mean we are not being successful as we travel that path. And in my experience we sometimes don’t even see the signposts until we’ve passed them and looked back. How many teachers have struggled with a particular student and felt totally frustrated only to have that student come back years later and say what a difference that teacher made in their life. We might do well to measure our success by the steps we take each day rather than how many signposts or mile markers we pass.

As I think of those around me, I think of a lawyer friend who works with the Drug Court. Not every client will take his advice and even those that do may face serious consequences for their prior actions that he can’t prevent. But does that mean he is not successful? No, on the contrary, his getting up each morning in the face of the seemingly overwhelming odds of seeing a drug dependent life turned around, and yet pouring his energy into the task of providing them good council, day-in, day-out is a measure of his successfulness; being faithful to what he is called to do.

I also think of one of my nephews, who is in the music industry and faithfully works at his craft. He has had numerous opportunities to tour with well-known bands. Sometimes he has done that for a season to “pay the bills,” but he has never let those glitzy opportunities distract him from pursuing what he has been called to do with his music. Will he ever be a big name we would all recognize? Maybe, maybe not. But, is he a success? Yes. He is faithful to his calling, has been a faithful friend to many in and out of the industry, and has proven himself to be a man of character through all the ups and downs of the crazy commercial music business.

I think of another friend who has spent the last couple of years preparing a program that will help your “average” church member reach their full potential as it relates to ministry. Will every person that goes through that three-year program launch some big name international ministry? Probably not, but most everyone will likely learn how to be faithful in what they have been called to do, whatever that might be. His measure of success and the success of those that attend will be their faithfulness in doing what they have been called to do. I could go on and name other family members and friends that are daily being successful as I’m sure you can also.

So, this new year let’s measure success in terms of faithfulness in doing whatever we are called to do; whether its reviewing a client’s tax return, painting that next painting for an art show, leading your department at work, or just being the parent or spouse we have been called to be. And, let’s make it a point to encourage those around us who are being successful but may not yet have seen a mile marker along the way.

We can enjoy the signposts and mile markers as we may encounter them, but let’s never confuse them with being successful.

Now, let’s go make a difference.

August 26, 2017 By DeanWilliams Leave a Comment Filed Under: Blog