5 of 5

Write now Article Tools

Success: How Do You Define It?

Honestly, we see the word thrown around constantly. If you, like me, are a fan of self-help and motivational books and tapes, you really get a double dose.

"You can have success!"
"Success in 5 easy steps!"
"Success is yours - follow our simple program!"

If you are a human being with any kind of vision or dream, success is your ultimate goal. But what does that actually mean to you? How do you define success?

Sure, we all want success, but our definition of it is as unique as our reasons for pursuing it. What I consider a success, you may just consider a total failure. It's just like when you were in school. Some people were ecstatic to get a B on an exam. Other people considered achieving anything less than an A on that same exam to be a personal shortfall.

When you close your eyes, what do you think a successful person looks like? Do you imagine someone with an expensive car, sporting a Rolex watch? Who do you idolize? It could be an award-winning athlete winning a gold medal for your country in the Olympics. Your hero could be a Pulitzer prize winner, or a great contributor to humanity, like Ghandi, Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King, Jr.

Or do you imagine a person surrounded by friends and family, with a huge, smiling face and a wonderful attitude to be the most successful person in the world?

If we have achieved each and every goal we have set for ourselves, but are not happy with our achievements and our life, can we really consider ourselves truly successful? First, we must clearly define our own terms of success.

Consider this: if achieving our immediate or long-range goals does not bring real fulfillment, perhaps those goals that we pursued were not our own. Our parents, peers, teachers, and even our mentors may have their own views of what should constitute success for us. Ultimately, it could take a long time and, sadly, a ton of frustration, to truly comprehend that these successes are not really ours, and never were.

There are just so many different definitions of success. Before we travel the long road on our individual journey to our goals, we need to ensure that we truly understand our own vision of success.

As an example, let us say that you own your own Internet home business. Naturally, you want it to be successful. But what does this success look like for you? Is it enough extra income to take your family on a nice vacation every year? Do you want it to bring you a full time income so you can leave your current job?

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Success can be as simple as making lemons into lemonade?
We want to hear your view. Write now!