My Metric for Success? Happiness

When I was in kindergarten, my grandfather told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to my first football practice at the YMCA when I was 4 years old my coach asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. You would assume I said a professional footballer. Not quite. I told him I wanted to be happy. He told me I didn’t understand the question. I told him he didn’t understand life.

Far too many people associate success by what we wear, what we drive and who we associate with. Success should not be determined by how much money we make or the number of vacations we take. Success should be measured by how happy we are.

It’s a common misconception that money is every entrepreneur’s metric for success. It’s not, and nor should it be. Some of the toughest times of my life correspond with moments where I have made a lot of money. No amount of wealth can make you feel happy if you’re not doing something you genuinely enjoy doing everyday. I’m a firm believer that if you’re continuously striving for the betterment of yourself and the people around you, the success you’re looking for will eventually come.

Happiness isn’t just how I measure my success; it’s also the key to it.