Category: Time

Defining Success

Published on by erikcpanzer1 Comment

“The accomplishment of an aim or purpose” – Oxford languages

Success is a concept where everyone has the opportunity to define it differently. The beauty of the human race is that no one person is the same and therefore it is most likely that everyone’s definition of success is different.

Due to a lack of knowledge, people make assumptions, they create opinions, and these opinions are only based on their thoughts, their experiences, and when all they have in their head is certain voices, their perspective is very skewed with no empathetic understanding to others journey.

It is important to remember this as you travel on your journey, that no one elses definition of success is the same as yours. For some, it may be internal, for others, it may be external. The most important thing is to know within yourself what success is in your life.

So, What is success for you?

The only person that can answer that question for you, is you. No one else should determine what you consider to be successful. Success can only truly be defined in relation to what you have personally set out to achieve. And to understand what you have set out to achieve, it is critical to know your purpose.

In a results driven world, where numbers, scores, and status are so often used as the measurement for success, without purpose, these are all you really have to assess your achievement. When you have a higher purpose, what is seen on the surface to the public eye becomes irrelevant to the journey you are on.

Here’s a little story:

I once took a class at University where in my final exam I got a score of 38/100. After initial disappointment, I realized something, that my definition of success was not about the score that I had gotten, it was actually about all that I had learned. In that class, I started with a knowledge base of near zero, whereas most my classmates started with a knowledge base of over 50, so it is only understandable that when the professor came to mark our final exam, my knowledge was considerably lower than everyone elses. So I wrote an email and said this, “if you are going to grade me on what I have achieved, I have failed, but if you are going to grade me on what I have learned, then I have passed”. The professor never responded to that email….but I passed the class.

As I’ve continued to grow in this life, this has been a poignant moment to reflect upon and show me that my definition of success is about what I learn and the journey that I am on, rather than the results I achieve.

Success is the person I am becoming through the journey that I am on.

I have discovered my purpose and I follow that everyday. It reflects in my actions, in my decisions, and therefore it allows me to measure my own success and no one else.

I encourage you, whatever industry you are in, whatever path you are on, to clearly define your purpose for your life, your reason for being, to enable you to accurately measure success in your life. Don’t let society define it for you.

Find your purpose and you’ll find your way

What A Time To Be Alive

Published on by erikcpanzer1 Comment

If there is one thing that we can all learn from these unprecedented times, it is that you can find out what is really important to you — what you need, day to day, for your happiness. 

During these current times, so many external things have become so quickly irrelevant. This is a great opportunity to reset yourself and allow yourself to simplify and clarify your life. It is a great time for self-reflection for whatever stage in life you are at. 

Don’t like your job? 

Is your job so good that you wake up each day with an energy, a thirst for the work you do? 

If not, figure out what you feel like will give you that energy and look for those opportunities and apply for those roles. Take that jump. 

Don’t like a certain relationship? 

Does your relationship give you life and excitement, a sense of adventure, and a lot of love? 

If not, talk about what’s missing, address the issues, or just step away. Don’t let it drag you down away from happiness. 

Don’t like what you’re studying? 

Are you studying something you care about? Do you get excited to learn about this topic each day? 

If not, change majors or programs. Find what you are really passionate about and study it, engross yourself in it. Let that give you a reason for waking up each day. 

Don’t like where you are living? 

Is your environment, your home, your surroundings giving you the ability to be free, creative and thrive? Or, Is it holding you back from living a life that you truly enjoy? 

If not, find somewhere that fosters creativity and freedom to allow you to thrive and give you purpose each day.  

Don’t like who you have become? 

Are you not happy with who you are, what you are doing or where you are going? Do you feel like you’ve become someone you don’t want to be? 

Isolate yourself with your thoughts, your visions. Brainstorm your purpose, find some meaning in your life, discover your passions, discover your reason for being and let that guide you to who you wish to be.  

Yes, I understand that for each of these points there are challenges and unknowns, especially financially. To make such decisions in these times can be uncomfortable, but being uncomfortable during chaos is where the most growth occurs. 

It is a time to step away from fear, and begin to move towards happiness.

The greatest thing you can do in isolation is disconnect and take some time with YOU; sit with yourself, your thoughts, your visions, your dreams. Step away from all other influences and find out about yourself on a new level. Discover your passions, your purpose, and begin on your adjusted journey, whether you decide to take a new path is up to you. 

When we come through the other side of this, you will know yourself better, your path will be clearer, your life will be simpler, and living a life of happiness should be easier. 

What having all this time has done for some is to spend more time with their kids, their families, more than they usually would. 

For others, it has given them time to reconnect with old friends, near or far. 

And most importantly, for many, it has allowed them to get creative, work on personal projects, chase their passions and do things they really enjoy. These are things that often get put to the side, as work takes priority, when they really should be front and center of what we do. 

These are three things that can make us feel more alive, more fulfilled. They make us feel happy. 

Take as much or as little from this blog, but no matter how much you take from it, I hope that your life will become richer because of it. 

Peace and love

I understand this is a challenging time. If you need someone to talk to, please reach out to me. Whether it is to help you discover your purpose, learn how to be comfortable being alone with yourself, or just to chat about life, I am always willing to talk, discuss and assist.

Time, a Concept of Measurement

Published on by erikcpanzer

Time. What really is it? I’m not too sure myself, but from what I understand, time is just a concept of measurement, measuring what, I’m not exactly quite sure either. It’s a funny concept, using numbers to give each period from sun up till sun down or for better word, a day, an outline of the amount of ‘time’ we have. This aspect of it is at least consistent. But what these numbers really do is they set barriers each day for us to live by, which we all suitably abide by. Today’s society is so deeply regimented into living life by these numerical barriers and guidelines that what if those numbers weren’t there each day for us to live by? What if we had no barriers, what if we had no structure, what if we had no time?

But for the purpose of these thoughts, lets just continue within these barriers of time…you think you have time, and maybe by the measurement of numbers, you may. But whatever that is, it is not to be taken for granted. Life isn’t something you wait around until 5pm each day for. Life isn’t something you wait until tomorrow or the weekend for. In today’s society, life is unpredictable. Seeing school aged kids who probably thought they had a whole life ahead of them get taken too soon, or friends that never got to live out their true potential due to devastating diseases and events, you can’t even question how much more time they wish they had. If that doesn’t make an impact, if that doesn’t make you realize how fortunate you are for each and every day you live, I’m not quite sure what will.

Time, whatever it is, won’t wait around for you to get your dream job. It won’t give you enough money to travel the world. And it certainly wont always put you in the best environment for your health. You have to make those things happen for yourself. You have to take control of your life, take control of the time you have and use it to your advantage.

“You can’t change your circumstances until you believe you control them. And you can’t control your circumstances until you decide to take responsibility for them.” – Mark Manson

Don’t settle for an environment that the time you invest is not valued or progressing you towards where you want to go. Continue searching for the environment that gives you direction in purpose, and if you cant find it, create it. Flow your energy to that space, and create your own environment that leads you in the direction you wish to go.

The crazy thing is, time puts a number on things, and that number is this guideline we look forward to for something different to happen. But you cannot control the future, all you have is the present moment, and you can only ever be in that moment. The present moment is what matters. That is all that you have control of. You can’t fast forward, you can’t rewind.

“Life is available only in the present moment” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Don’t look back don’t look forward, just be still and enjoy life, moment by moment. Make the most of the current time you have and if you are fortunate to keep receiving more time, then cherish that!

My final thought is thanks to a close friend of mine who once shared this with me, “time is a funny thing – the less you have, the more you want it. And the more you have, the easier it becomes to let it go to waste.” Time has it’s own way. Don’t let your time go to waste. Don’t be controlled by these numbers. Go out and utilize your time in the best ways you see for yourself. Make the most of the time you are offered, enjoy those moments and live boldly.