Do you know what your pillars of success are? Discover how to define your own personal pillars and use them to achieve your goals in this blog post.
About a year ago I discovered a clip of a commencement speech given by Matthew McConaughey that completely changed the way I think about success. If you have a spare 46 minutes, I’d recommend watching the full video.
About 11 minutes in, McConaughey starts talking about how he measures his success in life by using five pillars: fatherhood, being a good husband, career, health and friendships. Every day, he checks in to make sure that he’s not prioritising one pillar over the others too much; and if he is, he takes steps to correct it. As long as he’s putting time into all these pillars, in a balanced way, he knows he’s on the right track.
Why pillars of success are important
For most of us, outside of getting a certificate or winning a trophy, life rarely provides us with an objective measure of how we’re doing. Instead, we’re often running on the hamster wheel chasing something that doesn’t exist, because there is always more that can be done. The next promotion, a way to make more money, or gain more followers.
That’s why it’s important to define your own personal pillars of success. Your pillars should be the areas of your life that are most important to you. They could be anything from your relationships to your career to your health to your hobbies.
Once you know what your pillars are, you can use them to guide your decision-making and focus your time and energy on the things that matter most to you.
Here are three reasons why having pillars of success is important:
- They help you stay balanced. It’s easy to get caught up in one area of your life and neglect the others. But by defining your pillars, you can make sure that you’re giving attention to all the areas of your life that are important to you.
- They help you make better decisions. When you know what your pillars are, it’s easier to make decisions that are aligned with your values and goals.
- They help you stay motivated. When you have a clear vision of what success means to you, it’s easier to stay motivated and keep working towards your goals.
Defining your pillars of success
So, how do you define your pillars of success? Here are a few tips:
- Think about what’s most important to you in life. What are your values? What do you want to achieve?
- Consider all areas of your life. Don’t just focus on your career or your relationships. Think about your health, your hobbies, and your personal development as well.
- Be honest with yourself. Don’t choose the pillars you think you should have. Choose the pillars that are truly important to you.
Once you have a list of potential pillars, take some time to reflect on which ones are most important to you. Download my free worksheet to help discover your pillars.
It’s also important to note that your pillars of success may change over time. That’s okay! Simply revisit your pillars regularly and make adjustments as needed.
Using your pillars
Once you know what your pillars of success are, you can use them to guide your decision-making and focus your time and energy on the things that matter most to you.
Here are a few tips:
- When making a decision, ask yourself: “Is this decision aligned with my pillars of success?” If it’s not, then it’s probably not the right decision for you.
- When setting goals, make sure that they are aligned with your pillars of success. If they’re not, then you’re less likely to achieve them.
- When planning your day or week, schedule time for activities that support your pillars of success. For example, if one of your pillars of success is your health, then you might schedule time for exercise and healthy meals.
By using your pillars of success to guide your decision-making and focus your time and energy, you can create a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Conclusion
Defining your pillars of success is an important step in creating a more balanced and fulfilling life. By taking the time to reflect on what’s most important to you and setting goals that are aligned with your pillars of success, you can create a life that you love.
Finding your pillars is part of my New Years Reset course, which is introduced here. Find the next post “Finding your compass point” here.
What are your pillars of success? Share them in the comments below.
See you next time
Stephen