Earlier this week, Dina posted a fantastic question on her blog: What are your 5 greatest achievements? (She has a knack for this, Dina does. She's always posing thought-provoking questions in a gentle and open manner.) Picking up on such a rich and fertile topic for discussion, Elizasmom turned it into a meme, and I'm now perpetuating the meme. (That Elizasmom is one smart, funny, literary, music-loving, weapon-wielding chick. Quite a heady mix, isn't that? Check out her blog on a regular basis, it will do you good and you'll probably learn something new.)
I love Dina's question because it sort of intrinsically challenges you to explore your definitions of achievement and success. I noticed that the three of us (Dina, Elizasmom and I) picked up on a common theme: our notions of success have changed greatly over the years, and much of what we are proudest of has little to do with our older, more traditional, notions of success.
For instance, in response to Dina's question, I gave two answers that are deeply linked together. I said that my greatest accomplishments included leaving my old job, and living my life according to my values. A great part of that was figuring out what my values actually are.
My old job had all the trappings of "success": it paid well, I worked in a fancy building and had a large office, I traveled business class and ordered dinner from fancy restaurants (but ate at my desk, alone, probably 5 nights a week). That job provided me with many fantastic opportunities, but it also drained the life out of me. It wasn't just the demands on my time or energy: it was a cultural mismatch. Simply put, I didn't fit in. I didn't have the same priorities that my colleagues, or the organization, did.
So I quit. It was scary. There were personal and financial risks involved. But now? Now I have a job that's so much more in line with my personal values. As a result, I have more in common with the people that I work with. I'm proud of what I do, and I enjoy it. I have time for a personal life, and I am enjoying living more than ever. It took a long time to get here, but I'm so glad I made it. My priorities are in order, and that has generated a peace and an energy that's exceeded all of my expectations.
So, now its your turn: tell me what your 5 greatest accomplishments are. This shouldn't be too hard -- tell me what comes to your head immediately (and you can list more than 5 if you want)! And if you can, make another such list tomorrow. Once you start thinking about things this way, you may find yourself on a roll.

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