This must seem like a very strange question. Everyone wants to succeed, to have enough money, to be able to do what they want, to have people approve of them.

Right? It doesn’t seem to be something we need to think about.

And yet, I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find myself procrastinating, sitting on the couch scrolling through Facebook instead of working, or going to bed, or going to the gym, or whatever it is that I know I should be doing at that moment.

Or maybe I’m getting into the chocolate when I’ve determined this is going to be a low-carb week.

What’s with that? I suppose it’s a form of self-sabotage, but why?

I think the solution to that lies in not considering why I’m doing the unproductive things, but why it is that I want to succeed.

I want to avoid the easy route of self-flagellation, of beating myself up because, once again, I didn’t live up to my own expectations. It’s a great way to avoid doing the work, and never getting to the place I want to be.

So let’s think about success, and why we want it. I can’t tell you why you want it, but I can share a few reasons why I want it, and maybe some of them will resonate with you. If not, at least I hope it will kickstart the process for you, to find your own reasons for success.

1. Love and belonging. We are tribal people – it’s a very primal need to want to belong to a group, even if it’s just a small family. There’s a reason why the UN considers solitary confinement to be a form of torture. Humans want to be loved and to belong to a group, and one way to achieve that is to be successful at something, so that people we admire will want to be our friends. It doesn’t have to be a job or a business career – we could be an athlete, a musician, a stellar volunteer.

2. Security. The world is a scary place, especially now with the 24-hour news cycle and instant communication. If we so choose, we can be deluged with bad news all the time. It’s important to feel that we have some form of protection, that we have resources to keep our family safe from all the scary stuff out there. Being successful in our careers helps us feel that we can do that.

3. Significance. This is a really important one, to many people. As Brendon Burchard says, “Did I live? Did I love? Did I matter?” We want to matter in the world, to leave a legacy, to be remembered. Scrolling through Facebook will not get us there.

4. Longevity. This is where the chocolate, or avoidance thereof, comes in. My mother passed away at the age of 69, only twelve years older than I am now, from complications of diabetes. She did not get to see her grandchildren grow up, she will not dance at their weddings. I am determined to be there for my children and grandchildren, and to do that, I have to take good care of myself.

So the next time you find yourself procrastinating, it might be helpful to remind yourself of the reasons you want to succeed in what you are doing, whether it is the creation of an income, support of a cause, or a healthy body.

Can you think of more reasons we should bear in mind to help us stay the course for what we say we want? Let me know if I’ve missed anything of importance!

P.S. If you are local to me, come visit me for my next Wellness Wednesday on August 28, 7 – 8:30 pm, at GetAssist Winnipeg, 236 Osborne Street South #3 – there is ample parking behind the building.

P.P.S. Can’t make it in person? I’m doing webinars again, yay! My next one will be on Tuesday, September 3, 2019, at 7:30 pm CDT. Summer is over, it’s time to be back to school, work and general reality. Let’s talk about how to stay healthy and strong as the seasons turn! Register in advance for this meeting by clicking the button below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Join me on Zoom and let’s learn and grow together! If you can’t make it live, register anyway and I’ll send you the replay.