I’ve been giving a very straightforward answer to a lot of different questions lately, and it’s this: Do something that matters. After noticing that it’s an answer I often give, I went back to see if I had written a post on why this is so important, and I couldn’t find one where I went into specific detail. I’ve done a podcast on how to do something that matters, but haven’t yet explained why you should do something that matters, so I thought I would do that here. You should do something that matters because you will find fulfillment, but let me unpackage this idea.
You should do something that matters because you will find fulfillment. Click To TweetWhen success is found, fulfillment is found. This is because success consists of three things: fulfillment, happiness, and influence. Please know that only you can define success — whatever that is. Being a mom, being a dad, being an executive, owning a business, working a nine-to-five — whatever it is, find your definition of success and run with it.
Now, I’ve written a ton of posts on happiness, which you can find here. And I’ve also written a lot of posts on influence, which you can find here. But fulfillment is the other piece of the equation that I haven’t written much about. It’s the one thing that people spend their entire lives looking for, and for good reason. This is because it’s the only thing that produces complete joy, so you need to find it.
But first, you must believe that you can actually make a difference. You can make a difference. Say it out loud if you need to — I don’t care how you retain this truth — but you need this belief as your foundation for all of this to stick.
So now, here’s the fulfillment equation:
Your Soul + Your Relationships + What You Do = Fulfillment
Your Soul: This is the one area that I often skip because it just doesn’t come up in business circles, but when your soul isn’t where it should be, nothing is right with the world. As a Christian, my faith is what influences my worldview, and is what brings me peace when everything else is out of whack. However you take care of your soul, it is important that you pay attention to how it’s doing in order to have peace in your life.
Your Relationships: I’m immediately drawn to people who have huge hearts; it’s just the way that I’m wired. I love being around other people who enjoy pouring into the lives of other people, because I know that fulfillment can be found in strong relationships. And when you understand this truth, you’ll begin to see just how important it is to place a bigger focus on creating stronger relationships in your own life.
What You Do: I find so much fulfillment in my work. When people email me to tell me that they’ve used my advice to better their lives and their businesses, I find such satisfaction in that. To be honest, if business wouldn’t have worked out for me, I would’ve been a counselor; I find that much satisfaction in helping people. Whatever you do — full-time parent, business owner, manager, nine-to-fiver — find what matters to you and influence people through it.
When one of these areas isn’t where it should be, you’ll compensate by putting more time into another area. This idea always has my attention, because honestly, I’m always aware of my shortcomings. We all fall short, but the key is that we get back up again and continue to make a difference.
When these three things are taken care of, you will find fulfillment.
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