What Does Success Really Mean to You? – Part One
If anyone reading this has been watching the excellent TV series SUCCESSION, you will know by now that wealth, power and material success most definitely does not make you happy. The story of a media empire dynasty and the patriarch’s offspring wanting the top job when dad retires or dies underlines the vacuity and miserable lives of these people who cannot appreciate what they have and that nothing is “enough”. The show mirrors reality as Jack Dorsey has quit Twitter, someone else who seemingly has everything but is stepping away to find himself.
So, what is it that we are all looking for in our careers? Is it just a massive salary? A corner office? Status? Whilst not downplaying these things, these trappings, if you get them, ought really to be viewed as icing on the cake, a by-product of doing something that is truly meaningful for you and perhaps even for others.
According to findings by Success Coaches at Torrens University Australia in 2018, the definition of success is “doing something that makes you happy, and something that you enjoy. It also means often not taking the path of least resistance but opening yourself to new challenges that enable you to grow and develop mentally, spiritually and professionally.” It can also represent motivation, “Ultimately everyone wants to reach their highest potential and be happy and fulfilled. The key to finding what motivates you, and ultimately be successful, is to work out what makes you truly happy and helps you to reach your highest potential.”
Ultimately success is an abstract, intangible thing that changes from person to person, from circumstance to circumstance. But there are certainties that you can rely on to help you find your unique path to success. Here are some easy pointers.
Success is very much understanding the difference between need and want. If you can meet your monthly obligations and fulfil your basic needs, then, irrespective of the amount in your bank account – you are successful. Being able to identify when you absolutely need something and when you can do without it often leads to financial stability and is a wonderful way to succeed. Do not try and “keep up with the Jones’”; it is a no-win proposition.
Success is remembering to balance work with passion. Work without passion creates undue stress and empty achievements. Try and stay focused on what excites you. If you are happy at your job, that is great. However, even if you are not, you can balance your formal job with hobbies or volunteer work that you are passionate about.
Make people more important than money or status. Maybe a little dramatic, but if you knew that today was your last day to live, what would you do? I imagine your answer is not to spend the day working harder and getting wealthier. If today were your last day, you would spend time with friends and family or do something that you have always dreamed of doing. Why then do we make ‘working’ our biggest value? Because financial and professional success is driving our vision instead of a bigger purpose and mission. We are more likely to reach greater success when we are driven by a deep and burning reason.
Why not literally write down what success means to you? Seeing it written down, maybe it is easier to define. A list may look like this:
- Freedom to choose how and with whom you do business
- The ability to feel passionate about what you do every day
- Having the time and resources to invest in others
- Having time for fun, new experiences, and creative pursuits
- A thriving partnership or marriage
- Time to build and maintain friendships
- Time to choose health each day
- Being challenged and stimulated mentally each day
Defining your ‘all’ is just the first step. Next comes the pursuit of your defined success. How you get there is anyone’s guess, but if you keep your definition in mind, you can experience success and a deep sense of fulfilment and joy while on the journey.
In Part Two, we will look at other definitions of true success and how you can make it happen.
