Shedding The Superman Syndrome For Success

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans." --John Lennon

I just got back from a business trip to the East Coast. While I was away several hundred email messages accumulated, in addition to a tall stack of postal mail and a full voice mail box. Had I been here to respond to all of it as it came in, I would have spent much more time doing so. When faced with the massive volume, I became much more efficient. I asked myself, "What's most important?" And my clarity and focus were much sharper as a result. When I returned from my trip, what I really wanted was to spend time with my family... not with my email, inbox, or telephone. With great clarity and intent, I deleted much of my email without even reading it.

While on my trip I came across a book titled, "The Superman Syndrome: Why the Information Age Threatens Your Future and What You Can Do About It," by Robert Kamm. In his book, Kamm notes that Americans are working an average of six weeks to three months more per year than they did just a decade ago. Additionally, more than 70% of people in offices work weekends and more than 70% of American parents feel they don't spend enough time with their kids. Kamm says that the Superman Syndrome is characterized by an inability or unwillingness to throw the off-switch... whether on a cell phone, the computer, or in our own brains. We are the most distracted generation in the history of the human race. And distracted people make for distracted and unavailable parents -- perhaps one of the biggest threats our growing generation faces in the 21st Century.

Clients often come to me feeling overwhelmed. They want more control and balance in their lives. I explain that the control comes from within. Shedding the Superman cape is the first step! I tell my clients that they must be willing to bypass the external distractions and demands on their time, look inside to their own values and priorities, and then make choices so their focus and activities match these values and priorities. For example, if you truly value your health and your family, but you are working too many hours to take care of yourself or to be home while your family is still awake, then you've lost control of your life.

Kamm notes that the commitment to slow down and focus on things that really matter in life must be made at the corporate as well as the individual level. He states that "the Superman Syndrome is a dangerous workplace success formula that forces men and women to leap tall buildings and outrun speeding bullets -- at the expense of personal lives, families, children and even business productivity. This represents a major hypocrisy implicit in nearly every boardroom in America: The belief that we should be accountable to work but not to our families."

This begs the question, "What does it matter if you win the rat race?" You're still a rat!

Change -- even good change -- is stressful for most people. And today, the speed of change is doubling exponentially every 18 months. The deafening roar of change is the reason that 70% of illness is due to stress, and the top six leading causes of death for American adults are stress- related. It is not change itself -- but our inability to adapt to change -- that creates the rub for most of us. We are creatures of habit, and old patterns are hard to change, even when they no longer serve us well. Health care professionals note that we are so addicted to our fast-paced lives that it often takes a life-threatening crisis such as a heart attack or cancer to slow us down. Making the changes necessary to leave the fast lane behind is not quick, and for most, it is not easy. That's why practices such as yoga, meditation, and working with a life coach have become so popular.

Time to Graduate: Get a Life!

As we approach the time of year to celebrate graduations, I find it particularly fitting to share excerpts from a commencement address made by Anna Quindlen. As she began her speech to the graduating class of Villanova University in Pennsylvania, this novelist told the audience, "My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. The second is only part of the first."

Quindlen went on to share some important life lessons that all of us can benefit from:

"You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree; there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank account but your soul.

Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger paycheck, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon, or found a lump in your breast?

Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beers and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister. All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough. It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live.

I learned to live many years ago. Something really, really bad happened to me, something that changed my life in ways that, if I had my druthers, it would never have been changed at all. And what I learned from it is what, today, seems to be the hardest lesson of all. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned. By telling them this: Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the backyard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy . And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived."

Just Do It!

"Time is the most important currency, but once you spend it, it's gone." -Rod Steiger

If you struggle to "get a life," here are some concrete action steps you can take, beginning TODAY!

==> Action Idea #1: Identify what you love to do.

· If you had more time, what would you do? (Or, if you had a terminal illness, what would you want to do with the time you had left?) Write down your response.

· What is holding you back from doing this now? Do you choose to wait for a terminal illness to come along before you make time for what you love most?

· Get your calendar out and schedule time to do some of the things you wrote down.

==> Action Idea #2: Identify your values.

· Jot down the names of 10-20 people whom you admire. They do not need to be living, and you may have never met them or known them personally.

· After you've completed your list, write down the qualities that you admire in each person you listed. For example, if I listed Mother Teresa, I might describe these qualities: compassionate, generous, unconditional love, lived with meaningful purpose. The qualities that you admire in others are YOUR values.

· How do you honor your values regularly? What is getting in the way of you honoring your values?

==> Action Idea #3: Identify your priorities and passions.

· Pretend that you are attending your 100th birthday party and your closest friends and relatives have gathered to honor you. What would you want them to say about you? What would represent a life well lived with no regrets?

· What matters most to you? What are you most passionate about? Write it down.

· What one thing could you do, that if you did regularly, would make the biggest difference in your personal life? For your professional life?

· Get out your calendar and begin planning to do these things regularly.

We get what we settle for. It's never too late -- or too early -- to settle for more. When you are ready to settle for more -- professionally or personally -- contact me.

Kathy Paauw, President of Paauwerfully Organized, specializes in helping busy executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs declutter their schedules, spaces and minds. She is a certified business/personal coach and professional organizer. Contact her at mailto:orgcoach@gte.net or visit her website at http://www.orgcoach.net and learn how you can Find ANYTHING in 5 Seconds -- Guaranteed!

Set 100 Goals Now For Success

Was this speaker stark raving mad? One hundred goals? He thought I could come up with 100 goals for my life?

The speaker, Mark Victor Hansen, compiled the hugely successful Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books with Co-Author Jack Canfield. He challenged the assembled throng at the Women's Business Conference to brainstorm 100 life goals.

Further, he encouraged us to work with a partner with whom we would swap lists. Together we would encourage each other to develop our list. We would hold each other accountable. We would help each other eventually reach these 100 life goals.

Seeing that he was where he was, and I was where I was, I decided to take his advice! How many best sellers does Mark Victor Hansen have anyway? Exactly my point! He was a best selling writer, highly paid motivational speaker, darn good dresser too! And me? I was an employee of local government who read a lot of inspiring books. The kids in my Sunday School class were motivated by my speaking. That was certainly worth something. My wardrobe? Usually bought on sale, or at the end of the season on clearance.

If Mark Victor Hansen got where he was by writing 100 goals? Then I figured it would not hurt to try! My co-worker and I buddied up to walk together through the process.

The next day I sat at my keyboard. At first I thought I would have difficulty in thinking up goals. Soon, though, I was on a roll. My goals were as diverse as "Have lunch with a friend one time weekly" to "Host a radio talk show" to "travel to Europe".

I approached my co-worker to share my list with her. I also wanted to do my part as her buddy. I knew I needed to encourage her to write her own 100 goals. She read through my list, saying "Great! Oh, and you wrote 'Learn French twice!' ". With that, she went back to the tasks on her desk.

"Ummmmm.....how is your list coming, buddy?" I tried to sound as positive as I could on this one. Never sound accusatory towards your buddy, I thought

She looked out her window and replied, "My 100 goals are to get up tomorrow and the next 100 days!" She laughed at her humor. Me? I didn't understand.

Then again, her dream in 5 years is to still be working in local government. Perfectly respectable. Nothing at all wrong with that goal.

It is just not something that I could be particularly passionate about. Not something that I would be especially inspired by.

So where does that leave you, today?

Can you think of your 100 goals? Where would you like to be in 5 years? If you had a magic wand and your life could look like anything, what would I see when looking at you? What would it feel like to live that ideal life? What would others think of your life? Would you inspire people? Annoy people? Learn from people?

In other words, what do you really want to do with your life?

Start slow if you think you can not possibly think of 100 goals. Take out a piece of paper or open a new document on your word processor. Go for ten goals at first. No set order of preference, just let your mind go. Let the ideas and thoughts flow.

You may find you need to write more than ten goals as your ideas start moving less like a trickle and more like a deluge. If you run into a roadblock? Stop working. Walk away. Save the goals you have written. .Promise yourself that you will come back later.

And then do exactly that! Come back later. Challenge yourself to finish your list of 100 goals.

Finally, find someone with whom to share your goals. A buddy to encourage you as you grow. Do you have anyone who would encourage this kind of challenge? If not, ask around or look for a group on line that discusses goal setting.

When I first wrote this article, I was still working as a government employee. I have gratefully been an entrepreneur, coach and writer full time since November, 1999. As for me, I am on my way to reaching more and more of my 100 goals. I spend my hours caring for my precious babies (one goal was to have another baby, who is now 4! This May I was blessed with another baby, my first son). Just this past week I bought four new website domains to add to my main website, www.5passions.com. It is all about Living a Passion Filled Life. My second book is about to hit the market.

"I have not yet made reservations for a European Trip, nor have I hosted aTalk Radio program, but listen to your local station. You just never can be sure." Were the words I wrote back in 1998. In fact, that needs to be updated. In January I begin hosting my own radio show, so now I will have to say, listen for when my show hits syndication!

100 Goals? YES! 100 goals!

100 Goals. A method for uncovering what you really want. 100 Goals. A way to find out what is stored in your heart. 100 Goals. The beginning of your future. 100 Goals!

Julie Jordan Scott is a Personal Success Coach who left her career as a government bureaucrat and built a successful business in less than six months. Visit http://www.5passions.com for free resources for YOUR success Email her at mailto:julie@5passions.com or call 661.325.4116

The Keys Steps To Success

What is success? I am not going to try to define success. I think a precise definition is impossible. Is it winning a Gold Medal at the Olympic Games or winning Wimbledon, or being awarded a Nobel prize? What else? I believe personal success could be anything at all - it does not have to involve public recognition. Who is more success- ful? A millionaire who is unhappy, or an unnoticed person, who has led a simple, sincere and happy life? The simplest definition of success, I think, is 'to set out to do something and to succeed in doing it'. It really doesn't matter what, or how humble the undertaking.

The first step on the road to success starts with BELIEF. BELIEVE you can succeed and you will. Achieving success in whatever endeavor you choose may be the goal of life, because it gives you freedom from worry. Could that be?

Success means different things to every one of us. Some people believe it is measured in financial terms, i.e. having wealth; others believe it is helping others rather than helping themselves. A bit of both perhaps?! Or it could be simply achieving for achievement's sake? Success is such a personal thing. To many people, it is the very root of their being -- the reason for existing is to achieve something worthwhile in our lives. To the vast majority of the popula- tion it doesn't matter much whether they want to be suc- cessful or not; that's OK by me, as long as that is what you really want and you are happy with life.

However, most people want and are motivated to a great extent by public recognition and a relentless pursuit of achievement. How many people too are really happy? How many people are really doing what they want to with their lives? (Incidentally, the ability to imagine, makes us different from animals).

No matter what motivates you personally...whatever you choose to do with your life, don't expect instant success. The years of struggle, commitment and learning in excelling at whatever endea- vor or trade you choose, is no easy task. I would whole- heartedly agree with that statement after many many years of struggle as an aspiring author. It takes a lot of courage, character and discipline to achieve success in any field. Nearly all successful people have doubted themselves at some point and wanted to give up. Me included! Yet they carried on. So many people give up within an inch or two away from the gold in the seam down the mine - -a "whisker" away from success.

One thing is for sure: ADVESITY BREEDS CHARACTER and success breeds SUCCESS, as it gathers a momentum of its own and you get on a "winning streak", when everything seems to fit into place.No matter the field of endeavour, it's a matter of great PERSISTENCE that moves you towards ultimate success. So, "Keep on keeping on".

I like all of the following quotations. They all stand for what success means to me personally. So I'll share them with you...

"Success is the continuous journey towards the achieve- ment of predetermined worthwhile goals." - Tom Hopkins, American motivator

"To live your life in your own way To reach the goals you've set for yourself To be the person you want to be - That is success." - author anon.

"There is one only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way" - Christopher Morley

Most of all, I believe success is a matter of PERSONAL GROWTH. If every day you are developing or growing just a millimeter (or acquiring a "teeny weeny" bit of knowl- edge for improving yourself that you didn't have before), I believe one is successful. So dwarfs can be very success- ful people too. Sorry about that "un PC" comment, dwarfs!

Just being a slightly better person each day for me is suc- cess. I've got a very long way to go then!

Finally , always remember... success is a PROCESS and is not simply a matter of arriving at a destination. Suc- cess is what you BECOME in the often very difficult and hazardous journey down the river (or in my case, nego- tiating the "raging rapids"*) of life.

*Note alliteration

"I am not just a human being... I am a human just becoming ." - My great friend and "wise" intellectual philosopher, Dr Andy Eastcott (thanks for fixing my teeth and for the most interesting , "mate")

The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper.

-- Aristotle

The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.

-- Charles Du Bos

Craig Lock has written extensively on the subject of suc- cess, sport psychology and personal growth. Craig's books are avail- able at: http://www.novelty-gift.com/

Go After Your Dreams

Why are we afraid to chase our dreams... Why does one person find it difficult to set out and achieve that which they desire, while others can some how set out, without so much a care in the world. What makes some people achievers, while others remain simply dreamers.

Is it the difference in their internal makeup? Is it in the way they were raised? The environment they grew up in? When one studies the lives of "achievers" one thing becomes evident. What is it that tends to shine through in case after case?

In my opinion the most evident factor is that there simply isn't a set pattern. These "super achievers", if you will, come from all walks of life. These folks emerge from all social classes. Varying degrees of socio-economic backgrounds. Some from affluent families, while others emerge from economically depressed areas, and all corners of the earth.

Some of these people are college educated, others are schooled through lessons that life has taught them; the school of hard knocks. Many from a combination of both. However; all understand that knowledge in any form, is a constant thing to be acquired. Skills are constantly upgraded.

While each person has come face to face with giving up, they opted to befriended perseverance, and used it to their advantage. Somehow they've found a way to overcome the point at which one wants to give up, trudged ahead and reached a point of achievement.

Yet at this point most often they tend to move onto other areas of achievement. Not accepting the status quo. Choosing to move forward towards new goals, and things that stand in their path. Though they may come from vastly differing backgrounds, each has found within themselves their ability to turn dreams into reality.

When you read this it is my hope that you take from this the knowledge that you, are just as they are. You are in fact an achiever. Just like these people you will have adversity. You may have more then your fair share of shortcomings. You may experience what seems to be at the time an inordinate amount of failure in your life.

Even so, you are still an achiever. You have more greatness in you then you can ever know. I hope that you will choose to use the power of persistence to your benefit, as all those achievers before you have. In doing so I am certain you will accomplish much more than you can imagine you are capable of at this point in your life. Dare to dream, but even more importantly, dare to put action behinds your dreams... Your friend in cyberspace, Josh Hinds

Written by Josh Hinds of http://www.GetMotivation.com Sign up for my ezine at http://www.GetMotivation.com/ezines.html

Having The Confidence To Make That First Step

Quite a few years ago, I was enjoying an afternoon in the park with a couple of friends of mine. One of my friends had brought her dog, and as we were playing Frisbee, another dog came out of nowhere and started viciously attacking my friend's dog. One of my friends, Mark, reacted instantly, running to the dogs and managing to beat off the attacking dog and causing it to run away.

What did I do during that momentary instant of chaos? I froze. I stood there. I just stood there, watching the whole thing. Even now, even though it was a minor incident taking place 10 years ago, I still look back at that moment with shame. I resolved that I would never let fear keep me from taking action when action was needed. With a few exceptions (of course), I like to think that I've been able to live up to this resolution.

I think this lesson has an important parallel in business and marketing. One of the factors that keeps a lot of people from succeeding is the fact that we are usually afraid to push our limits. That means we end up taking the safe route and never understanding what we are truly capable of.

Take, for instance, starting a home business. Most people have dreamed of owning their own business, or at least supplementing their income with a side venture. However, 99% of those people don't take the risk to actually take the first step. They are afraid that they will lose money, or that they will fail, or that they will just look silly.

Well, first off, there are ways of beginning a business with very little money, especially if you don't mind starting off small. As for the fear of failing, so what? Failing is not something that you should be ashamed of -- instead, you should be proud that you had the courage to try. The same goes for "looking silly" -- who is sillier, the person who tries something innovative and creative, or the person who sits back and does nothing? I know what my answer is to THAT question.

I'm not trying to be a Tony Robbins here and say that you can achieve anything you want just by visualizing it -- all I'm saying is that NO ONE should be afraid to try to achieve their dreams. I'm not advocating quitting your job and sinking all your savings into junk bonds -- but don't let fear keep you from exploring all your avenues. Sure, you may have some regrets, but then again, you may end up praising the day that you decided to act. If you just sit back and do nothing, it is much more likely that you will have regrets later in your life.

Ron Sathoff is a noted speaker and manager of DrNunley's http://InternetWriters.com He provides copy-writing, marketing, Internet promotion, and help for business speakers. Reach him at ron@drnunley.com or 801-328-9006.

Change Your Life With The 90/10 Secret

The 90/10 secret is incredible! Very few know and apply this secret. The result? Millions of people are suffering undeserved stress, trials, problems, and heartache. They never seem to be a success in life. Bad days follow bad days. Terrible things seem to be constantly happening. Their is constant stress, lack of joy, and broken relationships. Worry consumes time, anger breaks friendships, and life seems dreary and is not enjoyed to the fullest.. Friends are lost. Life is a bore and often seems cruel. Does this describe you? If so, do not be discouraged. You can be different!. Understand and apply the 90/10 secret. It will change your life! What is this secret?

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.

What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane may be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%! How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light, but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you, YOU can control how you react! Let's use an example.

You're eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react.

You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the coffee cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize them for placing the cup to close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs you find your daughter has been to busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit.. After a 15 minute delay and throwing $60 away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs to the building without saying good-bye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to going home. When you arrive home you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter. Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning.

Why did you have a bad day? ___ A) Did the coffee cause it? B) Did your daughter cause it? C) Did the Policeman cause it? D) Did you cause it?

The answer is d. You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say "It's OK honey, you just need to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase. You come back down in time look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You and your spouse kiss before you both go to work. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good of day you are having.

Notice the difference. Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different. Why? Because of how you REACTED. You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% is determined by your reaction. Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 secret.

=> If someone says something negative about you, do not be sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You do have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out, etc.

=> How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you loose your temper? Pound the steering wheel? (A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off!) Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the blue car ruin your drive. Remember the 90-10 principle, and do not worry about it!

=> You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep or get irritated? It will work out. Use your "worrying" energy and time into finding another job.

=> The plane is late. It is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger, etc. Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse.

You now know the 90-10 secret. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results.

** (C) 2001, Arlen Busenitz. Arlen is a free lance writer ** specializing in people skills and personal improvement. ** Discover the Secret to Making People Like You-- Free ** http://www.Magic-People-Skills.com?90:10 ** Mailto:Ab400@juno.com

Are You On or Off Track?

Are you on the right track?

"Every calling is great when greatly pursued." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935)

Living on purpose. It's a growing, evolving process. It takes focus, clarity and regular reflection. Here's one story about a client's evolution and effort to stay on purpose.

Paul is doing some incredible things. His business bottom line is up and stronger than ever. There are new opportunities on the horizon allowing him to live his dream and in many ways he's on the leading edge in his industry.

I met Paul four years ago. He was referred to me when I was making marketing calls to businesses in my area. Paul was very interested in personal and professional development. Our first call lead to some interesting conversations and Paul subsequently participated in many classes I taught. Two years ago, Paul joined my purpose discovery workshop, resulting in his purpose statement:

"I eagerly seek to acquire and share knowledge to be of benefit to all."

Paul told me he had always wanted to be a public speaker and to him, his purpose statement was a clear reflection of this desire. By understanding this is what he naturally loved doing and sought to contribute, Paul began to shift his life and pursue his dream. We started a weekly coaching program. He also signed up for Toastmasters to hone his speaking skills and he hasn't looked back.

Paul's company is a small independent wholesale supplier of cleaning and sanitation products. You might be thinking to yourself, "That doesn't seem very glamorous. I thought you said he's doing some incredible things. He's just selling cleaning products."

Paul's business is selling cleaning products, but his real passion is infection control. He has taken it upon himself to develop an expertise in cleaning and infection control so healthy people don't get sick and sick people have a chance to heal. He's not a scientist, but Paul understands the science of infection control. His real specialty, however, is the Art of Infection Control. He's the "what to do and how to do it guy" people in his local health care community often turn to for advice.

Today, aside from running his business, Paul speaks at conferences and is connecting leading experts in the field of infection control with the front line hospital and nursing home staff across the country by leading and facilitating group TeleLectures on the phone.

Let's back up two years. Although he longed to speak in front of groups, Paul felt handicapped by a slight stutter. It wasn't until he realized what his purpose was, "...to acquire and share knowledge..." that despite his reticence, he decided to go for it.

Paul is developing an excellent reputation now and in just two years, is known as an "expert" in his field. He has no Ph.D. in science and doesn't really need one. He calls on others' scientific expertise when needed. He's able to make a fantastic contribution through what he knows, "The Art of Infection Control" -- how to use the Science.

Education in the Art of Infection Control is part of Paul's vehicle for touching the world. In the beginning, Paul had a lot of doubts about actually making this happen. "I need a degree," he thought. "No one will take me seriously," he told me. "I don't know how to speak to groups," etc., etc. All of these "issues" have been overcome and he is indeed living his dream. His goal of speaking and sharing his knowledge and insights aligns with who he is. It "just seems natural." When you act in alignment with your deepest drive to contribute, it never really feels like work.

Then, last week, with two years of success behind him, Paul called me and said, "I'm not sure if I'm on track or if my purpose is correct."

Sometimes even when we know the direction we want to go, we can get lost. We lose sight of our goal; we forget why we're doing something or maybe the day-to-day pressures and distractions make it seem like we're off track. Maybe we think our purpose is not big enough.

So, with this new doubt we took some time and reviewed Paul's purpose. (We only wonder if we're off track when we're in doubt, when we lose focus, when our vision is cloudy. Of course most of us don't review if we're on purpose, when we're feeling great, focused and aligned.)

This may sound simple, but in review, I asked Paul if he was still "eagerly seeking to acquire and share his knowledge". He said yes. Then I asked him to look at his drive to do this and "to be of benefit to all".

"Is this still what you are trying to do?" "Yes, it is."

"Does this purpose still reflect your deepest drive to contribute?" Another resounding "YES!"

"Then is this statement of purpose indeed still absolutely valid?" "YES!"

"Are you sure there is nothing missing or is there something else you need to add?" "No" said Paul, "I guess I wasn't really seeing things with my purpose in focus."

Paul was reconnected to his purpose.

Because of the clarity of his actions and intention, Paul is doing incredible things in all aspects of his life. His business, his church life, and his relationships all continue to grow and be aligned with his unique contribution, despite occasional feelings of doubt or distraction. Living a meaningful life, one of purpose, is an evolving process. As a matter of fact, it's a lifetime job.

SPECIAL NOTE Usually we equate success with being on purpose. But note: you can be 100% on purpose and not necessarily succeed or reach your goal. Your purpose is about your drive to contribute. It is "what you are trying to do" and at which you may or may not succeed. Purpose is the driver. In Paul's case, the driver is "to acquire and share knowledge to be of benefit to all."

Maybe he is unsuccessful in acquiring a certain nugget of knowledge or is unsuccessful in clearly sharing his knowledge. This does not mean he is not on purpose. The mere fact of attempting to acquire and trying to share knowledge shows alignment with purpose.

Sure, we all want to be successful but it is not the only criteria by which we measure your alignment with your purpose. We measure being on purpose as the process of authentically seeking to create the results you want. It is the process of being and doing and is not necessarily tied to immediate results.

Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela all strived for years in the service of their purpose, often meeting with defeat after defeat. They too may have had setbacks and doubts, yet continued to keep focused on their purpose.

If you get stuck, try stepping back from the "results" and look at the bigger process. Are your actions aligned with your deepest drive to contribute and live a purposeful life? Only you know, and your answers will reveal to you if you are on purpose. You may need to make a few adjustments or maybe, if you are like Paul, just need a reminder that you are on the right track.

Robert Knowlton is an Executive and Business Success Coach. Subscribe to my free e-newsletter, ON PURPOSE to get coaching tips and strategies for living a success-full and meaningful life. Visit my web site at: http://www.SuccessOptions.com/ezine.htm?SF