What is a Successful Lifestyle?

"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
12/27/2015 at 09:51 • Filed to: Thoughts

All lives are different, and our decisions should reflect that. I won’t ever say anyone made the wrong decision, but they can very well make the worst possible decision for that situation. You dont have choices unless there is some instance in which the other option is worth choosing. If you’ll have me, I would like to share my view on what a successful lifestyle is as we go into a new year.

Let me begin by saying that there is absolutely nothing wrong with sharing your personal successes and triumphs. Anything you have acquired through dedication or have been gifted through devotion should be shared and celebrated. However, at no point should a sense of entitlement become present.

Success is momentary. It is the completion of a set goal and is in the past the moment it becomes acquired. In order for one to have a “successful” lifestyle, that person needs to have a constant stream of goals and to meet them consistently. You bought your dream car, congratulations! However you are not successful, you were successful. In order to continue to be successful, you would need another goal and to also achieve that goal. Maybe you got the promotion, health, house, relationship, or Ferrari that you have been seeking. There needs to be a next step in order to turn success into a lifestyle.

A lifestyle is continuous and success implies forward progress, therefore if you want to live successfully, you need to have continuous progress. The scale doesn’t matter as long as it’s in the direction you wish to travel. It doesn’t matter if done by a step or a leap, a day or a decade, progress is progress. One thing that has helped me most of all is remembering that you can go further falling than taking a step, so don’t worry about falling on your face if you know you’ll have time to dust yourself off once you’re there.

Keep striving for more Oppo. Don’t feel ashamed for receiving all you asked for and already thinking of what’s next. I’ve had a great year, I’m proud of all that I have accomplished, but I’ll be damned if I don’t have more good news to share soon. I’m going to make success a habit and I hope I’m not alone. Whether it be material, mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual, don’t let anything hold you back from progressing and accomplishing what you set your heart on.

*Note, none of these are my Lambos...for now.

DISCUSSION (28)

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Wobbles the Mind
12/27/2015 at 10:02

Kinja'd!!!

I blacked out my tail lights so they work less.

Leon711 > Wobbles the Mind
12/27/2015 at 10:04

I thought success was like this

John_Harbinson > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
12/27/2015 at 10:05

Bruh, no way, bruh, I did the same thing to my headlights, bruh! Aren’t they #jdmtyteyo?

Kinja'd!!!

Mercedes Streeter > Leon711
12/27/2015 at 10:09

Bruh, you ain’t successful until you got a bottom rung Lambo and a bookcase in your garage.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > John_Harbinson
12/27/2015 at 10:11

No you’re gonna crash bro.

Wobbles the Mind > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
12/27/2015 at 10:17

It’s stupid, tint adds weight and you lose .01 seconds on the quarter mile.

Wobbles the Mind > Leon711
12/27/2015 at 10:19

Wont lie, this has been on my mind.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Wobbles the Mind
12/27/2015 at 10:19

Hopefully the turbos make up for it.

John_Harbinson > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
12/27/2015 at 10:22

No turbo, VTEC all the way. bro.

Leon711 > Mercedes Streeter
12/27/2015 at 10:23

47 Lamborghinis in my Lamborghini account.

Leon711 > Wobbles the Mind
12/27/2015 at 10:23

Won’t lie if you didn’t click play you won’t know that it’s a remix.

Wobbles the Mind > Leon711
12/27/2015 at 10:26

I did but I acknowledged the reference as you did. I should have been more clear, that’s my fault.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > John_Harbinson
12/27/2015 at 10:26

VTEC bro because Lambo bro.

Leon711 > Wobbles the Mind
12/27/2015 at 10:30

Well I’ll have you know I installed 47 Hollywood Hills installed in my house to house my 2000 Lamborghinis

XJDano > Wobbles the Mind
12/27/2015 at 10:40

I was and am on my way to success in my automotive goals. Although I could sell off one of my GTIs or keep for parts, my 3 car garage will be & is running out of room, while still missing a car.

Goals & focus has shifted to family needs while acquiring a tow vehicle in purchasing a 7 passenger, Suburban.

But I have my 3 project cars when I'm ready for them again.

Chasaboo > Wobbles the Mind
12/27/2015 at 11:39

I’ve driven Lamborghinis and they are crap. You’d be better off with a Ford.

The80thARG > Wobbles the Mind
12/27/2015 at 11:42

Nice article for the end of the year. I’ve been lucky; I’ve achieved many of my automotive goals; every old Mercedes I ever loved I’ve owned (save for a Gullwing), I’ve had four Ferraris, five Bentleys, two Rolls-Royces, several TR6s, three XKEs and an XK120 OTS, a ‘67 MGB/GT and a ‘56 MGA. Now, before anyone fires up the napalm, I’ll have you know that I bought all of the aforementioned cars when I was a single working stiff and bought every one of them at a deep discount because I could work on them myself. Right now, I still have one of those TR6s, an Austin Healey 100/6 and a Lotus Elise, among four or so old Mercedes. The difference is that now I’m married and own a home and I’ve found there’s a lot less time to enjoy the cars and the time commitments that they require. Fortunately, my wife is a very understanding person and knew that the Lotus and the Healey were two of my bucket list cars and so she encouraged my purchasing them, however...

My personal paradigm has shifted somewhat. I’m actually growing weary of trying to keep pace with all of these cars and the stacks and stacks of untouched copies of Classic & Sports Car and similar in my basement are probably a testament of my changing mindset. I’m realizing that for what I spend on cars (both monetarily and time), I should be focusing more of it toward my wife, family, retirement and house and so 2016 shall be my year of ‘rebalancing’. Gone will be most, if not all, of the toys, the coffers shall be sweetened up and I’ll learn to be happy with one, possibly two, not so expensive cars. It’ll be a tough choice but I foresee the TR6 hanging around since that car has been with me since bachelorhood (that new Mazda Miata commercial comes to mind), but gone will be the old (yet interesting) stuff and in their place shall be something cheap, practical and not needy of my time or money.

Oh, I almost forgot the two Citroën DSs that I had. Perhaps the two most memorable cars of all ;)

Wobbles the Mind > The80thARG
12/27/2015 at 11:48

You have articles you need write! I want to hear about everything.

Wobbles the Mind > Chasaboo
12/27/2015 at 11:51

Hey, it’s the experience that counts. I need it for myself, whether the experience is good or bad, the story will be fun to tell.

JGrabowMSt > Wobbles the Mind
12/27/2015 at 13:03

Lots of people here on Oppo need to read this and really think about what it means.

Thanks for writing this up!

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Leon711
12/27/2015 at 13:13

Well... Here in my garage on a selfie video.

TheJWT > Chasaboo
12/27/2015 at 14:34

Lamborghinis are hilariously fun the first time, but I’d imagine the novelty wears off pretty quickly

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Wobbles the Mind
12/27/2015 at 19:49

I don’t see it owning the most expensive car, house, etc on the block, I see it as you are happy with your life. I drive a no option base model Sonic (it does have fog lights, but thats it), live in my parents basement, work at a greasy spoon restaurant, make just above min wage ($11.25 where I live), I make enough to cover the bills. It be nice to have a better paying job, a better car, not with my parents, but I don’t mind where I am right now. I call it successful, all though my definition of successful might be way different 1 year from now.

Wobbles the Mind > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
12/27/2015 at 20:56

Nothing wrong with any of that! Im happy just to know someone else feels great and accomplished. My encouragement is that you continue to set goals and achieve. You have found happiness, so maybe your next step is to help others find happiness or share your own. It’s so rare to interact with people that are genuinely happy. You have a great advantage with the work you do. Of course, that is if you continue setting goals to progress your happiness. If you want to become Ruler of an island nation, you go right ahead!

Frank Grimes > Wobbles the Mind
12/27/2015 at 21:40

I want to point out that success isnt based on comparing to other people.

Wobbles the Mind > Frank Grimes
12/27/2015 at 22:05

Exactly! It’s doing what you set out to do. If your goal is to have better things than your neighbors and you keep accomplishing that, you are successful. If your goal is to live lovingly and you continually do it, you are successful. If your goal is to do harm progressively, you are unfortunately being successful. No matter the outcome, if youre consistently obtaining whatever you aim for then you are living successfully. Thank you for pointing that out!

The80thARG > Wobbles the Mind
12/29/2015 at 10:31

Ha! Yeah, I’ve been told I should’ve been an auto journo or something of the like. I figured (somehow) that working on Italian sports cars for a living was more profitable.

But, I'd be happy to write for Jalopnik if there are reviews of some classics that anyone would like to read...just not sure how to get a foot in the door, so-to-speak.

Frank Grimes > Wobbles the Mind
12/30/2015 at 15:18

No problem thanks for the original post. I get in the habit of constantly comparing myself to a very successful friend of mine and it sucks.