The 3 F’s of Success is the Sixth in a series of articles to help you reach your goal. What are your goals? I know you thought about it! You know, it is your dream, wish or resolution you made! Before you can get to where you want to be, you need to know where you are going. You wouldn’t get on a bus, train or plane without knowing where it was going.
Background
When I was growing up, children played outside most of the year. Bad weather meant you played board games or cards indoors. All the neighbor kids would get together and ride their bikes or play hide and go seek. Children did a lot of physical activities because they enjoyed them. Were we in better condition or just more active? There were very few fast food restaurants and I do not recall going to any of them. Was I physically fit? I do not know, but I slept very well from all the activity.
I was always fascinated with money from a very early age! I think my parents having their own businesses added to my interest. Saturdays, meant going to my mother’s store or my Dad’s business. Whether I was interested or not, I was exposed to the business world early in my life. I remember going on buying trips to the wholesale district in New York City and I saw my parents negotiate, make buying decisions and listened to conversations. Some of those experiences become some of my dreams.
My parents were very busy in their businesses and never seem to have much time left for me. This had a huge influence on me later in life. My parents sent me to a prep school to get a good education, but I think it made it easier for them. I remember not seeing them at many of the events.. When I became a parent, I made it a priority to see everything my children were involved in. It gave me a close relationship that I still have today. Doing things together made a huge impact them and me.
Fitness
We cannot separate mind and body! Fitness success affects your mind too. I know you have seen successful people who are not fit, but it makes more sense to have your body running in top condition. If you do, your mind will run better too. I think better when I feel physically fit. What should you do? Start moving more! Do you just sit at a desk or in front of a computer ten (10) hours a day? I try to work just fifty (50) minutes of every hour and move around for ten (10) minutes every hour. As a teacher, I am moving five (5) hours a day. Is that enough?
The other element is what you eat! If you eat too many calories, you will gain weight! That should not be a surprise. What you eat determines how healthy you will become. I try to eat healthy foods most of the time. Things like fruits, vegetables, some protein, and whole grains. Portion size is extremely important! Make small changes in your diet and exercise regime. Do the things you like and enjoy. If you do, you will keep it up and improve your fitness and overall physical health. My physical fitness success gives me confidence and helps me make better decisions.
Financial
What is financial success? Can you support yourself without going into debt? Are you spending less than what you earn? Do you have savings for now and when you retire? Do you have to have a certain amount of money in a retirement account to declare yourself a success? Yes and it is different for everyone! Some may not feel successful until they accumulated several million dollars others far less. Let’s put this in perspective, you cannot deny yourself everything for forty (40) years so you will accumulate millions of dollars. That would not be much fun and you will not have forty (40) more years to enjoy it.
What do you do? Start with the goal or outcome in mind. What are you trying to achieve, break it down and start doing it. If you are in debt, pay it down. Increase your savings and figure out what expenses should change to help save more. You are in charge of your life and you can do it. If you can make yourself physically fit, you can improve your financial self too. Get started with small changes because over time it adds up.
Family
Family is my number one priority. It is also my support network and a very important social relationship. The support I get from my wife and family helped me become more successful. Of course, I spent a lot of time and effort to make my marriage and family very successful. I dated my wife in college and got to know her very well over three and a half years. We talked a lot about many things including our future, money, values and what was important to us. During that time, we went through a lot of different things that made us stronger for a lifetime together.
When we had children, she worked part time and spent the time to instill values and other things so they would be successful. As a family, we did things together to help our children be successful. On a daily basis, we read to them, had family dinners and spent time with them. They kept busy in sports, visiting museums, scouting and many more activities. They saw what we did whether it was reading or modeling other good financial behaviors. Family success helped me in my success and in my children’s success.
Final Thoughts
This is the sixth article in the series about success; I expect to publish throughout 2012. There will be twenty-six (26) of them, one for each letter of the alphabet. The 3 F’s of success are fitness, financial and family. I think everyone wants success in life; business and career; however it takes a concerted effort to reach success. “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.” Tommy Lasorda sums it up much better than I can!
I started this series because I run into so many people who have difficulty reaching success. They want to know my secrets! So I thought I would share them in a format that will be most helpful. I also think this format may make it more interesting and easier to use. My goal in these articles to provide useful and interesting information that will help you succeed. The 3 F’s of Success is now a series.
Photo by: mace22968
The three F’s very wisely chosen. You need all three to complete the circle of happiness.
Funny, I picked them because they are important to me! I guess it makes me happy.
These three factors are ones which people often take for granted when things are going well and they end up regretting it. It’s best to value them before they are gone!
I’m really enjoying this series but I’m wondering what the 3 X’s or 3 Z’s will be 🙂
You will have to stick around to find out! 🙂 The 3 F’s mean a lot to me personally. They are the three areas that I hold as the highest priority.
Wise words. My thoughts:
Fitness – if you’re not fit (physically or mentally), your ability to earn money might be hampered. Plus, your overall quality of life might be lower. Best to try to keep fit.
Financial – I believe that the better one’s financial situation is, the more likely it is that you’re putting yourself in position to succeed in other areas.
Family – absolutely, most important.
I couldn’t agree any more! These are my most important elements of success.
I really like the Fitness topic when you consider how much we spend on medicine and stuff to repair our health and keep us alive. My waistline isn’t what it once was and I plan to work on that so medications don’t become a huge drain on my assets in the future.
My recent pinched nerve made realize that your fitness is fragile. Anything can change and will at one time or another. Good doctors and medical insurance is very important.
“The body serves as a temple for the mind”. Reminds me of Buffett saying how your body is like the only care you’ll ever get, so you’d better take good care of it.
Except for my pinched nerve, I am in the best shape of my life. I have to stay fit because I expect to live another 30-35 years. BTW, I just turned 65 years old last November.
Good F’s! I think they’re aligned with our priorities as well!
It is trifecta of F’s! All the important ones.
Those are definitely 3 very important F’s.
The alphabet series is a great idea! I am looking forward to reading more of them.
Thanks, the series creates an interesting platform for presentation and discussion.
Thanks so much for the post.Really looking forward to read more. Want more.
I hope you check out the whole series.
I think we are very similar Krantcents. Everything we do is for family, and fitness has always been a big part of our family activities. That is part of the reason we bought a house with acreage in the backyard. We can play whiffleball, frisbee, soccer, whatever at any time.
Although your parents didn’t have as much time, the financial lessons they taught you (through osmosis in a sense) had to be so valuable. I am sure you would have preferred to have time with them, but at least you did learn a lot I am sure.
I love the 3 Fs!
Thanks, I think I appreciate what I learned from my parents as I get older.
You are doing so well. Some might say you are lucky, but you worked hard for your success. Family is #1 in my book too.
I value my relationship with my wife and children more than anything.
Failure is also important to success – knowing how to learn from it, being able to move past it and knowing you can overcome it.
Absolutely! Unfortunately, I am limited to just three. There are times that I have a conflict of picking 4 or 5 and other times I have tough time identifying three.
I’m doing better on fitness so far this year over last year. It’s tough as I could easily spend an entire day inside glued to my computer, but it’s a good thing that I’m working in a better balance! I think that’s awesome you prioritize spending time with your family and that you attend as many of your kids events that you can. Nice set of F’s KC. -Sydney
Thanks, I find that doing things I enjoy make it easier to maintain. I have been bicycling for twenty (20) years and a home gym help maintain this routine.
I love these posts; another wise one and very well crafted, indeed. Very well timed for me as well. During our skiing holiday I realised that I have somewhat neglected two of the three F’s: my fitness and my family. I am a marathon runner – I will get back to running when back in Manchester and will enter Lausanne marathon. I realised that I have been working all the time and largemy neglecting my ten years old son and my husband – this will be changed as well.
Thanks, KC, for making me think and examine my actions, values and priorities.
Balance is everything! I used to go to work early so I could be home for dinner with the family. I also used to run in the morning (5:30 AM) so I could spend time with the family after dinner.
i think that about covers it. health, money and family probably makes up 90% of our lives. the only other big category i can think of is religion, but i can’t think of an F word for it.
Since this is a series, I have a lot more to go!
Family is everything to me….. Luckily I am already in the exercise habit. As usual, you have wisdom to spare.
Thanks, the 3 F’s may be my platform for success.
Perfect trifecta KC! Family is very important to me too, but if your individual fitness and finances are out of control, you will become a burden to your family. We definitely need to balance all three. Great series!
Keeping these three as a priority will help you achieve success. They are that closely tied together.
Great list. Neglect one, and all suffer.
All the letters of the alphabet in this series have relevance. For me, the 3 F’s may have the most importance though.