You ‘re Successful.. but Are You Happy?

I’ve often told the story about the person who was climbing the ladder of success and got to the top rung only to find it was learning against the wrong wall. This story illustrates how Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind essentially defines the wall you want to put your ladder against.

I was sitting at a restaurant with a young guy who had been with our agency for about five years. He had a large home, a parking place close to the front door, and a brass nameplate on his door. Over lunch, we started talking about the definition of success. I mentioned a Personal Mission Statement. He said he hadn’t heard about the concept. To demonstrate to him how to go about creating one, I asked him what was important to him. He started naming all the things he wanted to do. Not one had anything to do with his job.

I was intrigued. “Well, are you happy?” I asked him when he finished. 

He said, “Well, no.”

I said, “But you’re successful, right?” and laughed a little. He just sat there thinking.

I didn’t see him again for a couple of months because we were traveling to different parts of the country. One day, I spotted him in the hallway. Wanting to catch up on his life, I thought I’d walk him to where he was going. “Hey, Christian wait up. Where you going? I’ll walk with you.”

“I’m not going anywhere. This is my last day,” he said with a grin. 

I was shocked. “What”

“Yeah, I was just in to see the boss. He asked me why I was leaving. I told him it was your fault.”

“Oh no. You’re kidding me. Why’d you tell him that?”

“Well, I told him about our conversation in El Paso. About how you make me look at my life to see whether I was doing what I wanted to do with my life.

And I wasn’t . So I quit this job to start doing the things I really love. Thanks, buddy.”

I haven’t seen him for about two years now. When he quit his job, he and his wife started their own little roofing company. He likes working with wood. He used to be in the telecommunications field; now he’s hammering shingles on roofs and building porches. And guess what? He’s happy. 

The Western world is very action-oriented, the Eastern world more reflective. Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind, and Habit: 3 Put First Things First, attempt to bridge East and West-reflect, and then act on your decision. This story beautifully illustrates the power of choice (Habit 1: Be Proactive), thinking carefully about what matters most (Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind), and then acting upon it (Habit 3: Put First Things First). This man made a courageous 180-degree shift by putting his success ladder against the wall of happiness. The best way to predict your future is to create it.

Source: Living the 7 Habits