What is YOUR definition of success? If you found yourself at end of this lifetime, what would you like to be remembered for? Would your current occupation, career, and accomplishments make you feel like a success? What would you regret either having done or not having done?

Remember, you are free to change this definition of success on a daily, weekly, or yearly basis. Have fun. Put pen to paper and do a draft version.

MY DEFINITION OF SUCCESS:

Make several copies of your Definition of Success and hang it where you can see it: your bathroom mirror, your computer, dashboard of your car, refrigerator, etc.

Does your definition inspire you? Give you energy? Does it inspire you to work and play and have fun? If not, tweak it until it does.

Now, given your definition, where are you on a scale of 1-10? What is missing in your life? What do you want to change?

This is not a process of beating yourself up or dwelling on past. You are creating a definition to pull you forward and inspire your tomorrows.

After absorbing your new definition of success, are you inspired to stay in your current job or seek something more to your liking and better suited to your natural talents? If you decide to make a change, consider hiring a coach who can guide you through process and even make it easy and fun!

Step Four In middle column, The Gap, list education, skills, or experiences you need to close gap between where you are now and where you plan to be in future.

Now that you have identified your long-term goals and elements in gap, instead of focusing on title or hierarchy of your next job, focus on skills and experiences you will gain to close gap. For example, if you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you may look for a job that will strengthen your planning skills. You may consider anopportunity to work more closely with marketing or sales department. Or, you may look for a specific type of leadership experience in your next job.

Don't overlook opportunities within your current organization. If your goal is to strengthen your skills -- instead of to climb that mythical ladder -- you may find a lot more options internally than in an outside organization. As a known quantity, your current organization is more likely to risk letting you experiment with a new field of expertise. So, a lateral move within your organization could give you opportunity to gain new skills and experiences.

To close gap, you can also look for experiences outside of your job. Build your entrepreneurial skills by take a workshop on business plans at your local Small Business Development Center. Volunteer to manage financials for a small non-profit organization. Or, take some business classes at your local college or university.

By using a Career Gap Analysis, you can create your own unique, flexible career plan and banish career ladder to pages of history, where it belongs.