One should count each day a separate life. ~ Seneca
End each day with the question, If this day was my life, would I consider it a success?
It’s a simple but profound barometer. Success in life, after all, is a series of successful days. The future, however, isn’t always easy to work for nor to get excited about. A day is a life wrapped into 24 hours. When you add that kind of weight to a single day and you’re genuine about answering that question at every day’s end, it’s difficult not to have urgency in your hours and minutes.
Urgency and excitement are what allow us access to energy that defies what’s normal or common. Most people live a sedated life, almost waiting for their final day or blissfully ignorant to the fact that it’s coming, getting ever more close with each passing minute.
They live in such a manner because there is no urgency nor importance on their time. Time is something that ticks, it’s here to be spent or wasted or enjoyed, not used.
The worker, the hustler, the fella with the fundamental understanding that a day really does matter, and thus, so does an hour and a minute and the focuses of each should fit into one’s idea of a good life, a successful life, in the end, wins.
He wins because he doesn’t waste time. He doesn’t waste a day nor an hour nor a minute.
What defines a successful day?
Accomplishment.
A day without accomplishment cannot be judged favorably. Accomplishment is time well-used. Time well used is time that fits into the overall goal or plan for a life. If, within your day, you accomplish one or two things that bring you closer to your overall idea of success, then you’ve succeeded.
If you’ve spent more time being pulled away into projects and attitudes and thoughts that don’t fit your definition of a good life, then you’ve failed.
It’s a personal definition, but if you want to build a great business, one that leaves a legacy far after you’re dead, then work without distraction has to be an important part of your day.
I assume you also want to ‘live’, thus, a day spent outdoors, in the woods, in new lands, or in adventures, has to also be deemed victorious.
Every day doesn’t have to be the same, nor should it. They shouldn’t be measured by the same categories because on different days our focuses change.
Your work matters, it’s a part of who you are and why you’re here.
Your family and friends matter, they’re an important piece of having a happy, meaningful life. Adventure and exploration are also important. At times work has to be left and an adventure has to be had.
If every day is successful in either of those three categories, then your life will be as well.
