“I am successful!” When you hear somebody say that, what do you think they mean?

Most people would probably say that success means making lots of money – 6 figures, 7 figures, or even 8 figures.

Others may say that success means being somebody important, reaching a certain level of status in the eyes of others. It means having fame, notoriety, and even power.

But what about you? What do you think success means? How do YOU gauge success?

It is important to define for yourself what you think success is, because if you don’t, you can lose your focus in doing business. And a business without proper focus is like driving at night without your lights on! Pretty dangerous, isn’t it?

So, how do you define success?

Notice how I phrased that question: “How do YOU define success?”  Did you notice? Success does not have to mean making a million dollars a year.  It doesn’t even have to mean making 6-figures a year.  Well what is it, then?

Well, it’s interesting that the Webster’s Dictionary defines success as: “a favorable result”; and successful as: “Turning out as was hoped for”.  You see, success really means accomplishing what you set out to accomplish. Does that make sense?  So, you can see how closely related this is to goal-setting, can’t you?

Now, don’t get me wrong: If for some reason, your goal is to make 8-figures a year in profit, then you can certainly do it with the proper mix of goal-setting and know-how.  But, my purpose in this article is to help others to understand that it’s ok if they don’t.  In fact, your life will most likely be less stressful if you set the bar a little lower. Here’s what I mean, and why I say that:

If you’ve read some of my other articles, then you should already know that by applying certain steps, then you can have a system in place that will make you as much money that you want to make with your business or businesses.  So that means you could make $50,000; $100,000; or 1 million dollars or beyond if you wanted to with your system. Because, once you have a system in place, all you would have to do is multiply your numbers from there.  But, I’m posting this because I also want you guys to understand that the more money you try to make, the more tied up you will become, and the more of your time it will take from you as well!

So many times we hear of stories of people making HUGE incomes. And we wish we could be like them, right?  But, soon after, we hear of stories of them divorcing their spouses, and their children suffering as a result!  So, here they are with many successful businesses and millions and millions of dollars, but no one to share it with! How sad, and so unnecessarily tragic!

Remember that with great power comes great responsibility. Don’t you agree? So, just because you have the ABILITY to make a bunch of money, does that mean that you HAVE to?  Ask yourself:” Why do I want to make 7 or 8-figures a year in my business?  (No. Really, what’s the REAL reason?) What are you trying to prove?

So many people would answer:” I just want the best for my family. They deserve the best. They deserve all the things I never had”, right?   But what do you think about such reasoning? Do you agree with that statement?

Well, if you do, let me ask you a sobering question:  What do you think your family needs most from you – your time or your money?  What does your wife (or your husband) need in order to feel loved – you or your money?  And when your children are going through the early stages of life and even in their teenage years, what do you think your children would appreciate the most:  a cool toy or gadget; or their dad (or mom) by their side?

So then, with all of this in mind, what do you think is most important:  consistent, everyday quality time with your family – or a parent or spouse that’s always saying, “I’ve got work to do”?

Guys, I don’t care what anybody tells you – What your family really needs isn’t a mansion with 8 bedrooms and suite for the dog!  They need nothing more (and nothing less) than… YOU! How many times have you seen these punk rich kids that go out and commit crimes and do drugs? Why do you think they would do things like that? Well I would say that in most cases, it’s because they feel a void inside them. They feel empty, unhappy, unsatisfied, uncared for. Yes, they feel unloved! Wouldn’t you agree?

So, again: you want to make a million dollars a year – for what reason? For your family?  Hmmm, you might want to re-think your answer!

Why don’t you, then, re-evaluate why you want your business to succeed, and what your vision is of success?  My suggestion for you is to make as much money for you and your family to be comfortable; and as much money that will also allow you to have extra for different things like your kids’ education and even fun things such as taking vacations wherever you want, and helping others out who may be in financial need, and even for charities if you wish.  But just make sure that you’re not sacrificing too much of your time to get that accomplished!

Once you’ve understood how to put together a successful marketing funnel, then you’ll experience the power of having a working system in place. My plea to you is that you use that system to replace yourself.  What I mean is that, in my opinion, the best way to work a business is to work with the goal of not having to work again.

In other words, having a system will allow you to build a business where you can eventually turn it over to someone else to run; or have it so that it is running almost entirely on its own.  That will allow you the ability to spend as much time as you want on things that really matter.

Don’t waste your life on things that don’t matter, and that will only make your life of a lesser quality. Contrary to what others may and will tell you, money DOES NOT buy happiness.   Rather, build your business with the purpose of replacing yourself, and you can reap the benefits of having a fuller life, without having to worry about money at the same time.

Now THAT my friend is my idea of what marketing is all about – doing business with a purpose – so that you can concentrate on something that should never be taken for granted:   LIFE!

To find out more specific information on growing your business correctly and fast, go to http://expandyourdownline.com.      Also, to find out a specific process for having success in a matter  of months without all the hype, go to: http://tremendalife.com