How do you know you've arrived? Does arrived mean successful? What is successful anyway?

Relax. Truth is, you never arrive. You never "make it" per se. Life is, and should be about always striving. I don't mean struggle. But rather, reaching higher and higher to bring out the best that's in you. There's always further you can go to reach your maximum potential.

Thought I would share a few thoughts with you this morning, before going back to work. The reason I want to share is that I have been giving these things a lot of thought myself, and I need to take a break. I am also interested in hearing your thoughts as well.

Our work, whether it is Internet Marketing, art: visual, music, theater, culinary, science, business, electronic inventions, engineering, teaching,...whatever it is, is just a part of the whole picture. To be complete, we need to be balanced. Every aspect of our existence needs to be respected and given adequate attention.

What joy is monetary success if your health is poor, or your family relationships are suffering, or if you're miserable? Real success encompasses all aspects of life. A balanced life is key to a successful life.

Professionally speaking, what about reaching goals? We set goals, and meet them, then set new goals and meet them.

Staying flexible...it's more important to know your targeted destination with crystal clarity, than how you're going to get there. There's a big difference between knowing where you are going and how you will arrive. When you plan a trip somewhere, you may chart it out on a map, but you will probably improvise while en route, or you might get lost for a while. But you will still arrive at your destination.

True of business plans too. No matter how well designed your business plan is, you can be sure it will have changed before you reach your destination. Being open to change is the creative part of business. Opportunity happens, and it's important to be flexible enough to let opportunity in. There's no virtue in being rigid, also, no gain.

I'm a big believer in lists. I love lists. I notice that through the day, I do the most crucial things on my list, and let the rest just sit there. I believe it's important to focus on the most important tasks first. Why be a slave to a list? Why be a slave to a business plan? A business plan is an imperfect blueprint because no sooner do you write one, then it is past tense, over with, to a degree.

A business is a living thing, and therefore dynamic. So the plan has to change. It changes constantly.

Because of that dynamic, it's important to "take action." The "life" of your business is in the action you take. Just that initial step will reward you with information that takes you to your next step. There's no way of knowing what that will be without taking action.

Failure is an illusion. What we think of as failure is just part of the process, leading to ultimate success. Some things pan out, some things don't. Just the way it is. Microsoft was not Bill Gates' first venture. Barbra Streisand was booed off the stage as a young performer, as was Jim Carey. How many writers have had years of rejections before their first book is published? Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind" was rejected by 25 publishers. "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" was rejected 121 times.  C.S. Lewis received 800 rejections before selling 1 piece of writing. I, too, walked the pavements of New York with a huge portfolio, a sore back and blisters on my feet, before I got my first illustration assignment.

It doesn't matter.

What is important is just start anywhere. Arriving at a goal is the end of a chain reaction, one thing leads to the next which leads to the next. Before you know it, you arrive at your goal. And often times, the end result is better than you imagined if you just hang in.

An idea works or it doesn't work. The important thing is that you have ideas. And experience is wonderful. It allows you to know what to avoid. You are tempered by your experience.

Guard your time! Get rid of waste. Be brutal about it. If an idea bores you, abandon it. That's being smart, not whimpy.

Put your effort where it pays the biggest dividend.

Honor what makes you different. We're not all alike. One size does not fit all. Do it your way. You don't need permission.

Above all, have fun!