When I was a kid, we used to play this board game called, “Careers.” The idea behind the game was that at the onset of the game, you secretly write down a ‘Success Formula’ for victory points along three vectors – Fame, Happiness and Money.
In other words, if a total number of victory points required to win was 60, you might secretly choose 15 points for Fame, 20 points for Happiness and 25 points for Money as your Success Formula. He (or she) who was first to achieve their Success Formula score won the game.
When you think about it, life kind of works this way, although we may not practice such discriminating awareness in our life’s pursuits.
For some of us, it truly is all about Money and/or Fame, and all decisions are rightfully subordinated to this aspiration. For others, it’s first and foremost about Happiness, and pursuing the path of warm smiles and loving moments.
Clearly, for most of us it’s not a simple either/or, which is why thinking in terms of your personal Success Formula is a worthwhile exercise.
But how to apply such a 50,000-foot concept to ground level, career path types of decisions?
Let me share with you an exercise that I was blessed to be introduced to many years ago, that I have turned to time and again when I have been facing major career forking decisions:
- Step 1: Write down on one piece of paper the six things you get the most enjoyment from doing during the day.
- Step 2: Write down on another piece of paper the six skills that you consider yourself especially adept at.
- Step 3: Write down on a third piece of paper the six accomplishments that you would most want to be remembered for if you could flash forward to your funeral.
Now, on a fourth piece of paper write down the top two items (based on your ranking) from each of the first, second and third pieces of paper. This six item list is your schema, or Success Formula, for pursuing a career path that allows you to do thing that you enjoy, builds upon skills that you already have and takes you down an accomplishment path that is consistent with your life’s aspirations.
Try it. You might get some clarity on what you are REALLY working for.
Related Links:
- Hold a Picture in your Pocket: Cognitive dissonance and manifesting change.
- On Intellectual Honesty: See things as they really are; act on that knowledge.
- The Five Keys to Business Success: The most important drivers to entrepreneurial success.
- Ambition is a Kind of Vampirism: The human challenges of aiming high.