Jeff Haden* says for a truly fulfilling career you need to design your own definition of success, rather than capying someone else’s.
When my friend Ian graduated from high school he got a job working for a building contractor.
Over time he realised he loved framing — turning a foundation into a skeleton of walls and ceilings and roofs seemingly overnight.
He realised he loved finish work, and developed the level of skill and attention to detail that separates great carpenters from good ones.
So he started his own construction business, one that by every measure was extremely successful.
However, he didn’t love his construction business, because success had changed the nature of his work — and his life
“I hadn’t swung a hammer in forever,” he said. “I hadn’t been dirty and sweaty and physically wrung out — in a good way — in forever.”
Instead, he supervised people who supervised people. He wrote proposals. He reviewed estimates and contracts. He coordinated supply chains.
Business success led to a healthy bank balance and a seemingly enviable level of prestige and community standing.
It also kept him from doing what he started a business to actually do: Work side-by- side with a small, tight group of people who built houses with their own hands.
His story is far from unusual.
Plenty of chefs start their own restaurants, only to find that running a successful restaurant means they almost never get to spend time in the kitchen.
Plenty of programmers start their own firms, only to find that running a successful business means they rarely get to spend time coding.
Entrepreneurs are usually told to work on, rather than in, their businesses.
After all, every minute spent working on tasks that can be delegated is a minute not spent on strategy, planning, and growth.
Unfortunately, while that advice may help you build a successful business, it may not help you build a successful life.
If your goal is to enjoy what you do, to gain fulfilment and satisfaction and happiness from what you do, you might need a new definition of success.
In Ian’s case, that process took time. He didn’t replace employees who left for other jobs or to start their own businesses.
He carefully matched the number of new projects he took on with his company’s slowly decreasing capacity.
Within a few years he was down to two crews and could handle only two concurrent builds.
People assumed his business was failing, but his business was thriving, because Ian was thriving.
Sometimes he gets to spend the entire day working on job sites.
Some days he has to break away for a few hours to meet potential customers, write proposals, line up materials, and coordinate with other trades.
He has found he now enjoys that aspect of the job because he doesn’t have to do it all the time.
He also gets to spend time personally training new employees and developing longer-term employees.
Perhaps most importantly, he gets to drive by certain houses and think: “I helped build that.”
As you embark on any career path, take the time to decide what success really means to you.
If your goal is to become a wealthy restaurateur, the economics of the industry mean you’ll need to own multiple locations.
You’ll need to build not just a restaurant, but a restaurant business — and you won’t have time to work in the kitchen or front of house.
It’s great if that’s not your goal, but it will leave you unhappy and unfulfilled if your real definition of success is getting to spend every day cooking great food.
Embrace other people’s definition of success and, with time and effort and persistence, you can certainly build a ‘successful’ career.
However, the process, and the daily experience, may also leave you feeling hollow.
Instead of defining success by a finish line — a number, a metric, a certain house or certain car or certain public profile — define success by whether you get to do work you enjoy.
Work that leaves you feeling fulfilled, and satisfied, and happy; work that allows you to control, as best possible, your own destiny.
So design and build your professional life based on your own definition of success.
We all have to make a living — but we also need to live.
*Jeff Haden is a keynote speaker, contributing editor to Inc. Magazine and g host-writer of more than 60 non-fiction books. He can be contacted at jeffhaden.com.
This article first appeared on LinkedIn.
