Divined Success

When you discover your purpose, success takes on a whole new meaning.

Hello again friends, from JP, the guy with the whys.

Imagine someone you’ve known for a long time who works harder than everyone around them. They are always on, always engaged, and always chasing the next big thing. This is the kind of person who is up before sunrise, checking work messages during dinner, and has a real hard time with the idea of downtime.

At first glance, this looks like discipline, ambition, or grit. They look like they’ve got it all together. But slowly, something starts to shift. You notice that they always appear exhausted. You can see it in their eyes. The glowing smile they used to have just doesn’t reach as high as it used to. They still hit their goals, but it costs them more each time. The constant pursuit of success drains peace and joy, no matter how impressive the paycheck.

Does that sound familiar? Maybe it’s someone close to you. Maybe, if we’re really honest, it’s you.

You work hard. You play by the rules and do everything right. You show up early and stay late. You push yourself to new limits. But somewhere along the way, meaning got lost in the motion. What used to feel exciting now feels like obligation, and you find yourself working harder just to maintain what you already have.

This story is common, especially in America. We are taught that hard work always pays off. If we grind long enough, we will get the raise, the promotion, or the recognition that will finally make us happy. Sometimes it does, for a moment. You get the promotion. Your boss congratulates you. The next day, you are right back in the hustle with no time for the vacation you earned. In the pursuit of success, your raise disappears into debt, and the happiness fades faster than expected. You have worked hard but somehow feel like you have lost ground.

Success is a funny thing. Ask a room full of people what success means, and you will hear a dozen different answers. For some, it is a title or a certain income. For others, it is a home, a car, or physical fitness. Some define it by relationships, others by freedom. Deep down, most of us sense that none of those things alone really satisfy.

Success can be personal, but it can also be fragmented. We chase different types of success in different parts of life, yet the feeling of fulfillment rarely lasts. So why do we often feel let down when we finally reach the goal we worked so hard for? Does that mean we defined success the wrong way, or does it mean we actually failed? I suggest something different.

Maybe success is not only something we achieve. Maybe it is something we align with.

When we define success only as the achievement of a goal, we put a limit on something that should grow with us. That kind of success is finite. It ends the moment the goal is reached, and after the celebration fades, we start to wonder, “What’s next?”

But real success isn’t meant to stop there. It’s meant to keep growing as we do. What if we aligned our goals with the purpose God placed in us and allowed them to shape who we are becoming, not just what we accomplish? When success becomes infinite, we stop chasing it and start living it.

That shift allows us to celebrate milestones without feeling lost afterward.

It changes how we move through life, because success stops being an event and becomes an embodiment of the life God created for us.

Here’s the truth I’ve come to understand: God created each of us with a specific purpose. He designed us with unique gifts, strengths, and desires that aren’t random. They’re clues to the calling we were built for. When we pursue goals that align with that purpose, life feels lighter. The work is still hard, but it no longer feels empty.

When you develop the right mindset about success, it becomes liberating. Writing down goals is important, but understanding the deeper purpose behind them is what truly changes your direction. That clarity creates a sense of purpose that goes beyond any material definition of success. Once your goals are clear, you can develop habits that move you toward outcomes that matter. That is where the BIAS mindset comes in.

Success is not built by running faster or working harder. It is built by running toward something that matters. Redefining success is only the first step. The next step is designing habits that make it part of your daily life. That is what the BIAS mindset helps you do.

If you want to learn more about both BIAS and the WISE goal-setting method, I explore them in depth in my book, Success Unleashed: Mastering Your Life’s Purpose. What I’ll share here is the heart behind it.

Build Your Goals List

Success comes in many forms, so it is important to create multiple goals that reflect every area of your life. Your goals should challenge you, and some may even feel impossible. When you take the time to build a goals list using your WISE method, you uncover the deeper why behind what you want to achieve and begin to see how God may be shaping your desires for His purpose.

Building a goals list takes time, but it is worth the investment. It helps you define what truly matters beyond money or possessions. Once your list is clear, you will start to notice how your daily actions either bring you closer to or pull you away from what you value most.

Instill Courage

Once your goals are written, it is time to get to work. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Soon you will find that some steps are scary. You might need to move, take a pay cut, or start over in a new career. Change often requires sacrifice, and that is where courage comes in.

Many people stop before they start because fear gets in the way. But courage does not mean the absence of fear. It means trusting that God has already prepared the path ahead. When you are clear about your goals, you will start to notice opportunities that were invisible before, and some of them will challenge your comfort zone. Remember, no one who changed the world did it by doing what everyone else was doing. Facing your fear is the first step toward discovering your true capacity. Do not let fear hold you back from becoming the person God designed you to be.

Act Boldly

Once you have found courage, the next step is to act. Knowing what to do is only half the journey. Acting on it is where transformation happens. When you take bold action toward your goals, it often makes others uncomfortable. People may question your decisions or try to talk you out of them. This is your life, not theirs. As long as what you are doing is honest, ethical, and aligned with your faith, take the step. Acting boldly builds momentum, and momentum builds confidence. Every bold choice reinforces your belief that growth is possible.

Bold action is not reckless. It is rooted in trust, guided by purpose, and strengthened by conviction. When you take a step toward what God has placed in your heart, you will find that He’s already working on the details you can’t yet see.

Say Yes

The subconscious mind is an incredible tool. Once it knows what to look for, it starts to notice opportunities everywhere. When you reflect on your goals and pray over them consistently, conversations and ideas that once seemed ordinary begin to stand out. People mention things that suddenly feel perfectly aligned. These moments are not coincidences. They are the quiet ways God directs our attention to the next step.

When those opportunities come, say yes. When you are open to new experiences that align with your purpose, life starts to feel exciting again. Your work feels lighter, your relationships deeper, and your sense of joy returns. New possibilities appear where you least expect them.

When you combine these four habits, you begin to feel successful not only when you hit milestones, but along the way. It may start slowly, but like a boulder rolling down a mountain, momentum builds until it becomes unstoppable.

Real-Life Results

Since publishing my book in 2024, I have built five WISE goals and practiced the BIAS mindset daily. The results have been surprising and deeply rewarding.

Career:Once I defined my ideal role and the reason behind it, the company I work for created a new position that aligned with that vision. I have been in that role since, and it matches my long-term goals better than anything I did in the previous six years.

Relationships:For most of my life, I longed for deeper friendships. Last November I was thinking about how lonely adulthood can feel and how hard it is to build community once life gets busy. I remembered reading about how often Jesus shared meals with others, and that simple idea stuck with me. If meals were a place of connection then, why couldn’t they be now?

So I decided to host a monthly dinner with three families I barely knew. We rotated homes, each bringing part of the meal around a theme. Ten dinners later, those families have become close friends. Even the kids have asked to skip Homecoming just to be there. What started as a small idea has grown into one of the most meaningful parts of my life.

Health:I have struggled with my weight most of my life. By setting clear health goals, I discovered a love for weightlifting and hit six personal records in 2025. My diet is still a work in progress, but my body composition has completely changed. My goal is to live long enough to see my future grandchildren grow up, and for the first time, that feels achievable.

Your goals can produce similar results. Some will come quickly, others will surprise you, but every one will lead you closer to who you were designed to be.

If you see yourself in the beginning of this story, take this as encouragement to start building your own goals and invite God into the process. You might be one prayer and one decision away from discovering a completely new direction.

Need help? Reach out to me through my website at www.thedashlegacy.net.

Until next time, stay WISE