Lewis Howes Spills 3 Secrets To Greatness You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Success isn't the goal for Lewis Howes. That may sound a bit strange coming from a wildly successful New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, industry-leading show host, and former pro-athlete, but to feel true harmony and gratification, he argues you need to strive for greatness—not success. (That's exactly why he titled his newest must-read The Greatness Mindset.)

"Success for me is really about selfish goals and dreams," he shares on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. "There's nothing wrong with having goals and dreams, but when it's to fill something inside of you, to prove people wrong, to look good, it's just never going to feel fulfilling."

"The goal is to be 1% better every single day at the thing that you're doing," says Howes. When you're passionate about a project or goal, it's easy to imagine the finish line, but that can make the venture seem too lofty and overwhelming. Rather, "try not to be so extreme," Howes explains. "How can I be 1% better every day, consistently, over time?" 

You can't expect to move forward if you have unhealed trauma holding you back. Of course, trauma manifests differently for everyone: For some, it's anger; for others, it's self-doubt. No matter your specific wounds, it's important to acknowledge and try to work through them so they wield less power over you over time. 

"Emotional regulation is one of the most powerful tools we can all learn," Howes says. That doesn't mean you should never feel any negative emotions at all, of course. "It's learning to respond based on your mission, your vision, and your values, not based on your wounds," he adds. Only then, he says, can you achieve true greatness. 

Purpose is the key to genuine, long-lasting success. "It's really hard to feel ultimate fulfillment if you're not clear on where you're going," Howes explains. You don't have to have every little detail mapped out, but it's important to have some sort of mission in mind—and you should be open to shifting that mission as you proceed. 

Specifically, Howes recommends identifying different missions for the various "seasons of life," as you continue to learn and evolve. "I'm a big believer that we should all [have a] one-sentence mission for each season of life, and be willing to evaluate when the season's over and transition," he shares. "If we can't figure out how to develop a new meaningful mission once a big dream is accomplished, we are in for a lot of trouble."