A lot of times for a lot of people, success is a need. It denies them clarity and aid in figuring out what’s important. Prioritizing though, is easier for people who are satisfied with their work and excel by means of careful planning and implementation.

Take GOTHAM CONCIERGE for example,in the summer of 2008 at its peak, Alison Kero, Gotham’s founder, was running errands and handling tasks for more clients than she could handle, from busy housewives to disorganized lawyers and hedge fund managers.

WHAT WENT WRONG As home prices and the stock market plummeted in the fall of 2008, Ms. Kero’s clients began cutting back. She spent thousands of dollars on advertising that did not work. Worse, she became increasingly frustrated with the tedium of running errands. In July, when one of her two remaining clients forgot about a meeting — and then blamed Ms. Kero for not reminding her about it — she decided to close up shop.

“I realize now I didn’t love what I did,” she said. “I loved running a business.” In late October, she moved to Denver and started a pet care business, Alicat Pet Service, which is doing well for itself.