In this episode, Ryan shares a transformative personal story that reshaped his understanding of success. He reflects on a pivotal moment in his corporate career when a simple comment from an employee triggered a profound internal dialogue about what it means to "make it."

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00:02 - Welcome and Introduction
- Welcome to the Personal Success Podcast with Ryan Watts.
- Introduction to the podcast's mission: exploring paths to living authentically, finding fulfillment, and defining success on your own terms.
- Host introduction: Ryan Watts.

00:26 - Personal Story Introduction
- Ryan begins sharing a personal story that influenced his understanding of success.
- Mention of how this story led him to redefine success and what it truly means to "make it."
- Explanation of its purpose: identifying strengths, overcoming obstacles, and creating a clear path to success.
- Promotion details: free assessment available at Ryan's website.

01:38 - Beginning of Personal Story
- Ryan takes listeners back to a pivotal moment in his corporate career.
- Description of an ordinary day filled with meetings and deadlines.
- Conversation with a bright and ambitious employee who viewed him as a mentor.

02:06 - The Employee's Comment
- Ryan recalls casually mentioning, "When I make it big, you'll remember me."
- The employee's surprising response: "What do you mean, make it big? That's ridiculous, you HAVE made it."
- Ryan's realization of the dissonance between his internal feelings of inadequacy and external perceptions of success.

02:45 - Reflection on Success and Inadequacy
- Ryan discusses the impact of the employee's comment on his internal dialogue.
- Questions he asked himself: Why didn't he feel successful? What was he striving for?

03:26 - Confronting Uncomfortable Truths
- Realization that his definition of success was shaped by external expectations and societal standards.
- Metaphor of climbing a ladder leaning against the wrong wall.
- Beginning of a journey to redefine success on his own terms.

03:55 - The Belief in Future Performance
- Ryan's belief that his best performance was always ahead of him.
- Realization that improvement required consistent effort and incremental changes.

04:23 - The Issue of Undefined Success
- Ryan's internal struggle when his employee made the comment.
- Lack of a clear definition of what "making it" meant.
- Possession of material things but feeling visionless.

05:11 - The Executive Desk Story
- Gift of an executive desk from his mother-in-law.
- Setting up the desk but lacking a clear vision of its purpose.
- Realization of the emptiness behind material symbols.

06:14 - Searching for Something Real
- Ryan's journey of getting rid of material possessions post-divorce.
- Recognition that this was also symbolic and not addressing the root cause.
- Need to look deeper within.

06:59 - Seeking Medical Help and Diagnosis
- Seeking medical help for feeling off and unfocused.
- Diagnosis of ADHD as a turning point.
- Need to understand true motivations and redefine success.

07:57 - Redefining True Success
- True success is about aligning actions with core values, finding joy in the journey, and continuous improvement.
- Importance of defining personal success rather than relying on external symbols.

08:28 - The Importance of Values
- Journey to discover personal values and foundational principles.
- Initial focus on productivity and its eventual realization as insufficient.

09:01 - Conversation with Father
- Early morning routine impresses father.
- Father's comment about the craziness of the routine.
- Reflection on father's more balanced approach to life and work.

09:56 - Realization of True Success
- Success isn't a collection of symbols or external validations.
- Success is aligning with personal values and manifesting them in the real world.

10:26 - Core Values and Motivation
- Discussion on uncovering core values and how they motivate and inspire actions.
- Examples of values like integrity, family, and inspiration.

12:10 - The Power of Values
- Core values provide direction and a framework for decisions.
- Importance of being clear about values to achieve fulfillment.

13:06 - Defining Personal Success
- Emphasis on defining success based on personal values rather than societal standards.
- Invitation to explore these ideas further in the Personal Success Accelerator Course.

13:57 - PSA Course Promotion
- Promotion of the Personal Success Accelerator (PSA) Course.
- Addressing common problems: lack of clarity in defining success, internal obstacles, and lack of direction.

16:24 - Recap and Reflection
- Recap of the initial questions asked: Why don't I feel successful? What am I striving for? Why isn't good enough, good enough?
- Reflections on each question and personal insights.

18:04 - Final Thoughts and Call to Action
- Encouragement to find joy in the journey and continuously improve.
- Invitation to explore the PSA course for deeper understanding and tools to manifest success.
- Reminder to subscribe and share the podcast.

18:52 - Closing Remarks
- Ryan shares his journey from chasing external symbols to finding true fulfillment.
- Realization that real success comes from aligning actions with core values.
- Hope that his story inspires listeners to reflect on their own definitions of success.

19:40 - Final Promotion of Success IQ Assessment
- Reminder to take the free Success IQ assessment for a baseline of emotional intelligence and actionable steps for improvement.
- Promotion details: free assessment available at Ryan's website.