What Defines Success?

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about success at work, and how it means different things to different people.  When I first graduated college, I thought success was setting and then achieving a goal to reach a certain level.  But for someone who is naturally ambitious, this doesn’t really work.  Because once you reach that level, you want to go higher.  Eventually, you will rise as high as it’s reasonable to expect, and then what?  Do you feel like a failure because you aren’t at the tippy, tippy top?  Making success about being the best in your field is bound to lead to disappointment, because even if you’re the president of your country, there will be another world leader who is more accomplished and more popular with the people. 

Another definition says that you are successful if lots of other people think and/or tell you that you are.  Except how do you decide whose opinion counts, and whose doesn’t?  Are the people in your life really equipped to make an objective judgment about such things?  Plus, it’s always dangerous to base your self-esteem on what other people think.  Then there’s the people who say that you’re successful if you’ve gotten rich doing what you do.  This makes a degree of sense, although if your windfall was mostly luck or being in the right place at the right time, of if your wealthy in laws loaned you the money to get a leg up, how successful are you really?

For me, I think success is enjoying your work enough so that you’re energized at the start of each business day.  It’s having the respect and admiration of your colleagues.  It’s earning enough so that you’re in a position to pursue the lifestyle you want, with enough time to spend with the people who are most important to you.  It’s making a contribution to society so that you know in your heart that the world is a better place with you in it. 

What do you think?

Comments

[Miriam Salpeter]

Alexandra,

I like your definition of success at work as being tied to overall happiness. Looking within instead of to an external assessment of success is always the best barometer, I think. With this framework, happiness will mean different things to different workers. To some, the happiness barometer will be salary – the more money, the better. To others, it will be about flexibility and work-life balance. Another group will want to positively impact others on a daily basis to achieve happiness at work. The list goes on and on.

I would advocate for recognizing that we should each create our own happiness meter and measure it how we see fit!

Miriam Salpeter
Keppie Careers

[Erika]

Oh, I agree with you wholeheartedly. With so many people living every day miserable and stressed, living well truly is the best definition of success. Also, happiness can't be the measure for success because people will do some messed up things in order to be happy. I think satisfaction is the key. I think living a life that is satisfying to you in all the necessary ways is the best measure of success.

[Andy Drish]

Alex - Long time, no see. I hope all has been well with you!

A mentor once told me of the four legacies we leave in this world, which has shaped my view of success.

He told me that financial freedom leads to time freedom. Time freedom leads to family freedom and that gives you the freedom to give back to the world.

Money -> Time -> Family -> Giving back

So success for me is being financially free so that I have time to travel, have a family, and then get involved in the community.

Sounds like I've got a lot of work to do... Ha.

Take care!

[Alexandra Levit]

Andy, Erika, and Miriam - thanks for your thoughts. You're all right that we have to create the success that is most meaningful to us individually. The key is figuring out what that is!

[Mike Hickmon]

My definition for success is: Not quitting...

So many today jump from one thing to another without really concentrating on the now… the tasks at hand. They never build up momentum. So he or she who persists and does not quit will win in the long run.

[Alexandra Levit]

Mike, you're absolutely right. When I interviewed people with their dream jobs for How'd You Score That Gig? - I in fact noticed that the one thing that set them apart wasn't talent or intelligence - it was persistence in the face of adversity.

[James]

In my opinion I do think happiness can defince success. While it may be true that people can do messed up things to be happy for example kill someone.. But if that person thinks that he has been successful by doing that then nobody can tell him that's not being successful success cannot be defined or put in a perspective of a human. Although not many people believe that you should kill and gain from that to be successful most believe money and happiness and fame etc... definess success if they think that is success then that is success for them. Success is a accepted life by the person living that life if he/she does not approve of what his life is to that point of their life he/she does not view themselves as successful

[HIFU]

Be sincere in your actions. Don’t try to deceive or impress others. Be yourself, and do what you feel is right based on your values and beliefs. You will be surprised at how people accept you when you stop trying to be someone you aren’t.