Here’s her advice on balancing success and happiness, the importance of kindness, the power of solitude, setting goals, and giving advice.
Taylor Swift is worth somewhere between $700 and $800 million; in terms of entrepreneurial success, that’s rare air.
But then there’s this: as ESPN’s Wright Thompson once told me, Swift might be the most incredible person in American life.
As Thompson said:
She experienced global, nuclear success at a young age. And she’s continued to be incredibly successful.
Yet she never had that “teen star” meltdown. Her success is amazing … but even more incredible is that she’s mature, well-rounded, and happy. That accomplishment is truly staggering.
Swift’s perspectives underpinning that level of success and happiness? Here are five of my favorites.
Taylor Swift on Happiness
Success in business — and in life — means different things to different people. “Success” should mean different things to different people. Whether or not you feel successful depends on how you define success, and on the tradeoffs you are willing to not just accept but embrace as you pursue your definition of success.
Even so, the best way to define success is to ask yourself a simple question: “How happy am I?” How successful you are — more important, how successful you feel — is based solely on the answer to that question.
As Swift says:
I have this really high priority on happiness, and finding something to be happy about.
My ultimate goal is to end up being happy, most of the time.
Sound impossible? Think about it this way. Compartmentalize all you want, but no single aspect of your life can truly be separated from the others. Business success, family and friends, personal pursuits — since each is a permanent part of the whole, putting more focus on one area automatically reduces the focus on another area.
Want to make more money? You can, but something else has to give.
Want more time with family? Want to help others? Want to pursue a hobby? You can, but in each case, something else has to give.
What motivates you? What do you want to achieve for yourself and your family? What do you value most, spiritually, emotionally, and materially? That’s what will make you happy — and if you aren’t doing it, you won’t be happy.
Defining what “success” means to you is important, but taking a clear-eyed look at the impact of your definition matters even more. As in most things, your intention is important, but the results provide the real answer.
Ask yourself if you’re happy. If you are, you’re successful. The happier you are, the more successful you are.
And if you aren’t happy? It’s time to make some changes.
Taylor Swift on Kindness
Jeff Bezos says while cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice. Mark Cuban says one of the most underrated skills in business is being nice.
As for Swift?
No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.
You can choose to include rather than exclude. You can choose to build people up rather than tear them down. You can give before you receive, knowing you may never receive. You can shift the spotlight to other people. You can listen more than you talk.
You can choose to be nice — not because you’re expected to, but simply because you can.