During another downturn several years back, I learned a new definition of success.

It was a time not unlike these times.  Many companies have folded.  Many people have been laid off.

In the eyes of the world, these companies would forever be tossed in the “failure” category.  After all, didn’t they run their companies to the ground?

I was, at that time, the owner of a public relations agency struggling to keep my clients and my employees.  While I was discouraged, I wasn’t defeated.  But I didn’t feel like “success” either, until I met professor Erickson from the City College of San Francisco, where I had signed up for a complimentary small business management class.

Professor, how do you define success?”  A dark-hair middle-aged woman at the front of the classroom raised her hand.

The grey-hair, balding professor in a navy suit looked up from his lecture notes and turned in the direction of my classmate.

Well, it’s simple.  Once you have learned and improved upon whatever it is you want to learn and improve on, then to me, that is success!”

That’s it?”  My classmate’s eyes opened wider and shot back instinctively.

Yes, that’s it.”  The corners of my professor’s lips turned into a smile.

I sat quietly, but my mind was processing that simple advice…

Once you have improved, then you are successful.  Yes, I think that’s what he just said.

Those simple words had a profound effect on me.

I began reflecting on some business challenges, but came to the conclusion that hey, I was still a success!  Why, because according to my professor’s definition, as long as one have learned or improved from an experience, one is a success!  So on that particular day, no matter what I felt about the state of my business, I was proactively sitting in a classroom, improving my small business skills.  So, I have crossed a small, personal success milestone!

After that, I started rewarding myself for little, personal victories.  Hey, I outreached to five prospective clients today.   Hey, I worked with our webmaster HelloAri to complete our website revamp.  Hey, I created a great marketing campaign today, etc. etc.  Soon enough, these personal victories grew and began manifesting as public ones, and we started winning more clients and awards.

Once you have improved, then you are successful.  Yes, that was what he said.

How refreshing!  Perhaps the secret of happiness lies in our perceptions of success.  Have you had days when you feel discouraged because you are so far away from reaching your goals?  Consider carving your goals into smaller pieces.  Say you’d like to run a marathon one day.  But it overwhelms you.  Why not start by going to the gym and runing for 10 minutes today and adding on the miles incrementally afterwards?  So long as you are learning and making progress, hey, you’re a success!

What goals are you working toward?  What successes have you had recently?  Do share.  Remember to see them in smaller pieces, so you have more reason to pat yourself on the back and more reason to celebrate.

Here’s to your success!

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Image by Pit Van Meeffe via Flickr

Have you ever sat alone at a cafe, stared out the window and pondered this question:

“What do I wish my life to look like?”

One day, I did sit at a cafe.  I saw the cars and people passing by, and did ask this very question.  I wanted to be an entrepreneur.  I wanted to build a company filled with happy people and clients.  I wanted to do good work that has impact and makes a difference in the lives of others.

First, it started as a flicker of an idea.  Then it took form and I “fearfully” took the plunge and finally hung up my shingle.  And as I worked on the business everyday, my vision for the future and this business became more refined.  A particularly edifying moment came from reading a profoundly simple, yet powerful book called E-Myth Revisited.

There is a passage within the book that underscores the importance of having a clear vision for our lives:

Great people have a vision of their lives that they practice emulating every day.  They go to work on their lives, not just in their lives.  Their lives are spent living out the vision that they have for their future, in the present.  They compare what they have done with what they intended to do.  And where there is a disparity between the two, they don’t wait very long to make up for the difference.” ~ Michael Gerber, E-Myth Revisited.

Do you have a vision for your life?  It could just be a flicker now.  Or perhaps you are one of the great people that E-Myth Revisited alluded to, and your vision is already in full bloom?  Either way, drop a note and share with others who will benefit from your thoughts and experiences.

Here’s to your future filled with bright visions!