Articles

What is your definition of success?

Success is many things. It is a both a concept and an experience, a moment as well as an evolution. It is the merging of your aspirations with reality; the weaving of your hopes and dreams with your daily tasks. It is simultaneously tangible and ephemeral, and gives the illusion of being universally quantifiable. Success is externally evaluated, yet intrinsically experienced; it is both objective and subjective. The true essence of success, beneath the visible markers and goals, lies in your own personal sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

  • What comes to mind for you when you think about “success?”
  • What are the images you see? What does it feel like in your bones to have succeeded?
  • Do you imagine reaching the apex of your profession? Or do you imagine amassing great wealth?

For some people success may be any one or all of these. For others, it may be something entirely different, like perhaps earning enough money to retire at 50, or having their own art show in a gallery, or coaching their child’s little league team to victory.

To some, success looks like grand achievement, to others it resembles daily rewards, and still others measure it as the accomplishment of an underlying life mission. It may mean being a good friend, or raising socially responsible children, or being a loving grandparent. For some, the achievement looks like having lived ethically, honorably, or according their values and conscience.

For many, finding or sustaining a romantic relationship or marriage is a goal. Overcoming a disability, hardship, challenge or obstacle is the criteria for some, whereas breaking records – athletic, financial, historic or scientific – is where fulfillment lies for others.

Since each person is an individual, comprised of their own visions and standards, each one defines success in their own way. My definition is probably not the same as yours, nor is yours exactly the same as that of other people you know. We are a constellation of individuals, each holding our own place in the cosmos and twinkling from within as a result of whatever gives us our own individual glow. The first basic rule of success, and perhaps the most important, is that there is no one universal definition of fulfillment. We each have our own, and every one is equally precious and worthy.

The standards of success

The popular cultural definition of success in industrial nations is based primarily on three elements: Power, money, and fame. It is assumed that if you are in possession of great abundance, have status or power, or are recognized as a celebrity, then you are, by society’s definition, “successful.” If you have even one of those three requirements, you qualify.

There is, however, one major problem with this definition: it is severely limited. It excludes a multitude of people who are successful in their own right, and who define success by an entirely different set of standards. These are the people whose bank balances may not be especially noteworthy, nor do they brandish significant authority, nor are they necessarily recognized when they walk down the street. Rather, these are the people who have realized goals and dreams that have been set from within, rather than those dictated by societal norms.

Success is amorphous, and like the other vast intangible – love – there is no universal means by which we can measure it. What it means for one person may not resonate for another. It may be the collective goal of many, but it ultimately has only one true judge. You, and only you, can assess your success, for it is you alone who determine what it really means for you.

Are you a goal-oriented person?

Would you consider yourself a goal oriented person? Are you the type of person who has to constantly strive for something, because if you do not you feel like you are lost. If so congratulations most people tend to not be goal oriented. If you are not a goal oriented person; you can learn how to become one. A goal oriented person is a person who always succeeds in life. They have a strict mindset of what they want to accomplish and have. They are very smart people who are always willing to take the necessary risks to accomplish their dreams. Anyone can set a goal it is not hard. However what takes more is having the persistence to reach it. It requires hard work, dedication, faith confidence and courage. You must realize that you will not reach your goals overnight; sometimes it may take a long time in reaching the goals you set for yourself. They understand that they must have realistic time lines to reach your goals. The problem with most people is that they expect instant gratification. If something does not happen when they expect it to; they get upset and end up quitting working towards their goals. A goal oriented person understands this and they have learned how to develop the burning desire that it requires to achieve what you desire in life. However sometimes when things take a while they may fall off of track. They understand that it is okay; and they always end up getting back on track.

Can you honestly say this is how you approach your goals? You can learn how to accomplish anything you desire in life. However it all starts with a goal that you have a burning desire to achieve. Without the motivation; you will never accomplish anything you want. Yes it will take some sort of risk after all pursuing your dreams can be a little risky. You must be able to get over the fear of failure and understand that you can achieve what you truly desire. They understand that they must set realistic goals if they are to accomplish them. Can you actually see yourself accomplishing your dreams? There is nothing different between someone who achieves success and someone who does not. Except for the fact that the successful people are always willing to work towards their goals. So what are you waiting for? Your desires are right around the corner if you are just willing to begin taking small steps towards them. Why not begin now and be grateful that you did; rather than keep using excuses not to begin and then end up regretting that you never had the courage to pursue your dreams. You will find that if you just take the first step; it is not as hard as some people make it seem. You will become passionate about life again; because you will realize that you do possess the potential to be do have anything you desire and you will pass on this belief to your children!