One of many Martin Luther King Jr. quotes that resonates with me is:
“We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to mankind.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
It resonates because many times in my life I narrowly framed success as getting a promotion, and having the budget for a big trip.
The quote doesn’t actually say these metrics are bad. But it does grab me by the shoulders and give me a shake.
This quote provokes me and prompts
It reminds me that I will feel deeper and more sustained success if I expand my framing. And isn’t that what I actually want?
I read it as a push to lift my head up from my desk, look around, and talk to strangers.
What else can we make beyond money?
There is a tool in the book “Designing Your New Work Life” that touches on what we ‘make’ in life. We can make money. We can make impact. And we can make use of our voice and express ourselves. Through our lives, the amount of attention we give to each of the three will vary.
This exercise helped me remember that besides the impact I was making through my job, there was additional impact I could make as I engaged with the world around me. It also encouraged me to speak up more, to say Hello more, and to be the one to start a conversation.
My measures of success have changed over time
I measure success differently today than when I was just out of university. And when I was eyeing a big promotion. And even when I was roaming the world with a suitcase and a backpack.
Per MLK’s quote, there are many categories to consider when defining what success means to us, and many timelines to consider too.
Consider multiple categories and timelines
I recently shared my simple “Success Looks Like Worksheet” on a mentoring call I had through The Forem. She took to it quickly, to help her capture her thoughts about the future and structure more reflection.
If the quote resonates with you, feel free to download the worksheet for yourself.
