Written by Christine Galli, M.Ed

“Wise men say….” One of my favorite love songs by Elvis. What do wise men have to say about success? Here is some food for thought!

” I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs, but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.” George S. Patton

Everyone has ups, downs and downright failures. What failed you in 2015? Sometimes, events just fail your expectations, but was the outcome based on wishes upon a star that went awry or something that you planned and executed but did not turn out the way you expected? Every event carries a lesson. Document lessons learned and what you feel would work better in that situation.

“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire, the size of your dream and how you handle disappointment along the way.” Robert Kiyosaki

This quote captures the essence of starting and sustaining a business. Businesses, as with life, start with a vision or dream and achieving a result. How you plan for that end result is ever changing and how you account for every step along the way identifies milestones and measures your success. Reaching your destination is only part of the scope. What you do with that end result is a lifelong pursuit. Success may take a different shape as you age. It may start with a dollar value and end with the value of the business or the value you bring to your world. Write out what that value is and how you can measure it.

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” Henry Ford

So, true! Imagine a world where it’s just you and you alone running a business. Where is the fun in that? For someone like me, I feel fulfilled having others work alongside of me, building a team, moving parts all working as one. Maybe it’s because I’m part of the Motor City, but I don’t think you can get very far without a community approach. To me, a business is a mini community where everyone has an important role and it would not survive without the talent and the team. Sometimes, when my family obligations call a little louder than usual, I do back off in my business to attend to home, but that is all the more reason why it’s great to have a team: Everyone supports each other!

“Strive not to be a success, but to be of value.” Albert Einstein

I just attended a wonderful program through Nan Institute (National Advisors Network) and this concept was driven home class after class, book after book. What am I if not one who brings value to the lives of others. In the end, it is what we want to be remembered by. One of our exercises was to write our eulogy (you know that exercise is always a bit strange). What would we want others to say about us. Write it down. That is your plan. How did you run your business? What did it bring to others? As a mother/father/sister/brother/friend/foe, you were (fill in the blank). It is simple, but that is always the best place to start.

What words describe you? What does your vision look like? How do you measure your current state against your visions and dreams. All food for thought as we watch the ball drop tonight. Happy New Year to one and all and may you find your way to success, wherever that place may be.