Significance matters day to day

I have felt the need to pause and decide how I want evaluate or measure the large and small milestones in my life. So I have decided to look at two important words in this sphere, because I need a mind set change.


Success:

The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.





Significance:

1.The quality of being worthy of attention; importance.

2..  The meaning to be found in words or events.

Do I choose to live a significant life or a successful life? Can I do both?






I am beginning to understand that the difference between these two standards can be the difference between living contentedly in the day and always striving towards tomorrow. When I look at the concept of success it is fleeting and momentary. A success may last 24 hours as a euphoric moment but unless I can replace it with another I am probably going  to emotionally drop. I have found this can be  a precarious way to live which can lead to great highs but some troubling lows as well.


Success revolves around achievement or accomplishment. Success is the "corporate way" where you are only as good as your last win, sale or achievement. This works while you are on the up, but not so great if you find yourself struggling. Success is often measured by someone else's standard or a standard that we have little control over. Some of us may set our own standards, but they are usually connected to an external standards. It may a number of sales, the right car or clothes, being with the right crowd or a large income.

An alternative is to switch my attention to significance, this means I am moving towards a different thought process. I feel that significance is about using your value and belief systems to interpret the information that is presented to you. Some of it by the events that happen to you and around you, interactions with people and yes achievements you have. However I believe using significance as a measure brings activity, beliefs and feelings into the long term game. Living with the end in mind. As Michael Hyatt says; What do you want people to say on your tombstone? Then living accordingly. Live with end in mind.



Now I haven't got this all worked out yet, but  it would seem to me that when you operate from the process of significance you move from an external measure to an internal measure of how am I doing?   Moving from comparison to evaluation. A gyroscope measures balance and equilibrium it is designed to keep things level. I believe that a gyroscope is a good symbol of a significance model because it allows us to internally assess where we are sitting at any time by using what is happening to us, being said to us, what we are doing and achieving related to our set of values and beliefs. That means the fluctuations are  probably not as catastrophic or euphoric, but they make us effective over the long haul.


So matter where I sit right now if I know my values and beliefs I can put both past and present events trough the significance grid and see where I sit. This allows the gyroscope to remain or regain balance because I understand the significance of what I am doing or not doing  not just how successful it appears right now.


 I believe living with significance is about quality of life not just quantity.

 I believe that significance and success can cohabitate as long as I am guided by significance. Therefore I am going to go back to reassess my values and do a quick significance check.

Have you considered what your values are? Have a look on line there will a lot of information to help you.