How Do You Define Success?
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
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Success is difficult to define because it changes on a regular basis. One day I’m happy with the growth of this website then the next I’m scrambling because I saw another blogger’s visitor stats and they were way higher than mine.
I shouldn’t be comparing myself to anyone, let alone someone who is already an expert in my field. We’ve all heard that advice, but it doesn’t work. We can’t stop comparing ourselves to people who are more successful. The important thing is that we find a way to measure success that encourages great work, but doesn’t discourage us.
Measuring Success
Let’s say I’m looking at my career as a whole. I see a few missed opportunities and my savings account or investments aren’t that impressive. I know I can do better. So many of us look back on our careers in this way. We see the lack instead of the abundance.
We might be comparing our accomplishments against our past self, but we need to take it a step further. We need to compare our actions with our personal growth, our accomplishments, and any other factor we can think of. When we limit ourselves to just one or two measuring sticks, we forget to see how much more patient, smarter, and happier we have become.
We need to add extra measuring sticks so we don’t get caught up in black and white thinking. That means looking not just at how much money you’ve made, but personal and spiritual growth that you’ve earned too.
A List of Measuring Sticks
- Personal and Intellectual Development
- Professional and Career
- Financial Health
- Relationship and Family
- Emotional Wellbeing
- Spiritual Growth
- Living Environment
- Physical Health
Every time I read about a celebrity who crashed their car or was pulled over for a DUI, I think about how they struggle just like you and me. Charles Barkley was busted for a DUI. He drank too much and got pulled over within a few blocks of the club where he was boozing it up. We usually see how lucky he is to have money, fame, and career, but his life isn’t all peaches and crème.
You need to look at your life as a whole. Maybe you’re not that happy in your current career, but don’t forget how you struggled in the past. I can say that because we all struggle. We tend to forget how far we’ve come in so many areas of our lives, and that skews our ability to honestly judge how successful we really are.
Expand your ability to see abundance in many areas of your life. If you aren’t working at your dream job then browse around this site and find some ideas to assist you in making a change, but in the mean time don’t let this one area of your life destroy your happiness. You must also notice all the great work you’ve done in other areas.
I discovered a fantastic site called Prevential.com. It has a series running about success and how to make it a reality in your career and business. My favorite post so far is titled How to Improve Your Business With the Kaizen System.
How do you measure your success? Do you compare yourself to others or past accomplishments? What is the best tool to stay happy when you feel a part of your life isn’t meeting your expectations?
If you liked this post then you’ll enjoy these:
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First, I would like to thank you for talking about Prevential. Additionally, I don’t think its a matter of definition. It doesn’t matter how you define it. What matters is whether or not you work to achieve your set goals.
I define success by being able to spend the time to do what I love. Everything else is secondary.
Hi Karl,
Thank you for raising a foundational question that everyone needs to answer for themselves. Further, defining the answer to this question is a most urgent priority for all of us because it shapes the rest of the choices we make in our lives.
The first Covey success principle is to begin with the end in mind. The “end” is our personal definition of success. This definition helps us focus and prioritize our lives.
Although the definition of success is individualized, there is a universal framework that you can use to assist you in this vision quest that is provided by Coach John Wooden as follows:
“Success is peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
I wrote the following blog post about Coach’s definition of success:
http://www.somersetcpas.com/wordpress/?p=53
The Coaches personal website is also a great resource:
http://www.coachwooden.com/
Thanks again for starting the dialogue.
Howard
I think success can only be defined by the individual. I define success in different ways for the different areas of my life. I do quite a bit of public speaking and presenting. Scary at first, but I started to know that I was improving and my message was getting across when feedback went from “that was good” to “that was so inspiring”. But not all areas of my life will be defined that way.
I typically assess where I am now to where I came from. And do my best not to compare myself to others.
Hi Karl,
Great post. I understand what you mean about feeling great about my site, then comparing it with another site that seems more ’successful’ according to the statistics.
I’ve decided what success means to me in life – money and time to do what I want, surrounded by people I love who love me. Now I’m trying to figure out what success in blogging means to me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Some define success by how much money they earn. Others define it by what or who is in their lives. I define success as being able to earn money while doing something I love and having those I care about in my life.
Great article!
*smiles*
Michele
Hi Karl: Sometimes a friendly competition with others is a good thing, other people can spur us on to better ourselves. That being said, it’s important that we feel happy for the success others and never feel that another’s success diminishes us in any way. I like your idea of having measuring sticks to make sure that we’re progressing well on our journey to constantly better ourselves.
Hi Derek, when we achieve our goals we defined what we really want to accomplish.
Hi Nathan, I hope that you are living your success.
Hi Howard, love coach Wooden’s definition of success. Right on the money.
Hi Stacey, when we compare ourselves to how far we’ve come then that is usually the best indicator of Success. In my opinion.
Hi Daphne, we have so many categories of success, at times it’s tough to keep up.
Hi Michele, I agree. As long as I am comfortable and give and receive love then I’m happy. Unless my boss is being tough on me because of a mistake.
Hi Marelisa, competition can be a great motivator, pushing us to succeed. I think what it comes down to is at the end of the day and how we measure our own accomplishments.
Hi Karl,
Success is…different for everyone. And yet, the same. It’s different in that we’re all different from each other – each with different goals and dreams. Yet it’s the same, in that there are some deep-down values we all use to measure success I believe. Finding joy (being happy, satisfied, nourished), living (dreams, plans, life), love (for other people, from other people, activities we do, ourselves, life). This may seem like things that are hard to measure – and I think they are, indeed hard to measure. Yet, when we experience these – in some way – we are touched at a deeper level. Deeper than a fat checkbook will do. Deeper than having the sportiest car will do. Deeper than the things we might have in our lives.
Hi Karl,
I think success is not a result, but it is a journey.
As you said, success is difficult to define. For me, as long as we can be happy no matter the results are, that is what success.
Great article, Karl. Thanks.
[...] How do you define Success [...]
Hi Lance, very eloquent. Success all about finding our deepest joy and how to reach it often.
Hi Arswino, the journey can be rough, but once you learn to ride it like a surfer riding the pipeline then it can be one adventure after the next.
Hi Karl
I have made a conscious decision not look at where “other people are” in life. It is no use comparing and, as you say, you don’t have the full picture anyway.
I treat life like yoga – it is your Practice, you are not competing with anyone else in the class, you are as far along the path as you are and you are not even competing with YOURSELF.
Juliet
I’m so with you on the yes-no feelings of success. And it’s amazing how easily it can change from moment to moment!
I try to remind myself each day of how I’m moving forward. As long as I see progress week by week then yes, I’m successful.
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