Author: Gina Romero (26 Articles)

Gina is a networking strategist and a creative management consultant. Anyone who has met Gina will tell you her enthusiasm is contagious, her energy and business savvy awe-inspiring, and her dedication ever-present. Gina successfully ran an IT solutions company and is an advocate of social media and communications technology. Gina is the Managing Director of The Athena Network’s International Online Business Community and aptly the Head of Creative Thinking at the Creative Ideas Department. Connect with Gina on Twitter @gina_romero

Success. In our society we hear a lot about success. Successful people, successful companies, successful projects, success strategies, methodologies, formulas.

But what exactly is success? According to webwords:

~ Success: An event that accomplishes its intended purpose.
~ Accomplish: Cause to happen; complete successfully – achieve.
~ Purpose: An anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions.

So if success = achieving an anticipated outcome for an intended purpose
Then the formula is: (S) = achievement (A) + purpose (X)

By the very definition of success, in order be successful we need to have an outcome or purpose in mind.

In the movie Jerry Maguire, Rod Tidwell refers to ‘The Kwan’. Jerry: “Kwan. That’s your word?”, Rod: “Yeah, man, it means love, respect, community… and the dollars too. The whole package. The kwan.”

This definition rings true for me because material gain alone has never been my outcome in mind. My personal measurement for success is based on achieving a set of defined goals coupled with my purpose, which is contentment.

~ Achievement: The action of accomplishing something.
~ Contentment: Happiness with one’s situation in life.

So my personal success formula is as follows:

Achieve Kwan (love, respect, community and money) + Contentment = Success

Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks - my all time favourite song, inspires me in my personal quest for success. Why? Because success doesn’t necessarily come wrapped in fancy car or a big house.

The song inspires me because Terry and Julie have found their Kwan.

“Millions of people swarming like flies
round Waterloo Underground
But Terry and Julie cross over the river
Where they feel safe and sound
And the don’t need no friends
As long as they gaze on Waterloo sunset
They are in paradise”

Have you defined your measure of success?

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Dedicated to Bobby - my partner and my best friend - for our 9th anniversary.
Follow your heart darling.