What is Success for You?
If you’re struggling to define what a successful life means, I have two pieces of good news for you:
- It’s never too late to start over.
- You get to write your own meaning of success.
Many of us chase career titles, money, or social status — and yet we don’t feel successful when we get those things.
That’s because you can only measure success in your life when you define what drives your happiness and helps you find purpose.
“What does success mean to you?”
I guess most people think it is having a lot of money, being a CEO, or driving an expensive car.
However, I learned quickly that this is not what success means. At least not to me.
What is success for you?
Let me tell you that there is no exact answer for everyone.
It is different for everyone.
One person might define success as not having to work more than 40 hours a week, another person might define success as having a million dollars in the bank account.
Success is something that you have to define for yourself, and no one can do it for you.
Success could represent a sense of giving back to the world and making a difference.
It could mean being able to do the things you love.
It could mean being able to provide the best possible upbringing for your children.
It’s entirely up to you.
A one-size-fits-all approach is impossible.
And either way is fine, but that’s the key point.
It’s never too late to write your success story
Many people think that they’re already too old to succeed.
Let’s consider some facts:
- At age 23, Oprah had just been fired from her first broadcasting job.
- At age 40, Stan Lee finally achieved success with Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and X-Men comics.
- At age 50, Julia Child wrote her first cookbook.
- At age 62, Kernel Sanders’ fried chicken business KFC finally succeeded.
- At age 77, Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s president after spending 27 years in jail.
If we can learn anything from these people who succeed later in life, it’s this:
Success has no deadline.
In fact on average, the people who found the world’s biggest companies don’t start until age 35.
The average age for starting their company was 40.
Many of the world’s most successful people don’t even start pursuing their dreams until their 50s or 60s.
Success is not measured by a particular age, at a specific time, or by a certain deadline. It also isn’t about any other person’s measures or metrics besides your own.
However, success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, a lot of effort, a lot of failures, and many acts of courage.
When you see someone who seems to have it all, you don’t see the full picture. It might seem that they gained everything they ever wanted overnight.
At the same time, you can only see yourself from behind the scenes.
Day-to-day life is not always thrilling, for anyone. It’s filled with uncomfortable moments, chaotic emotions, and yes — mistakes.
Don’t compare your journey to someone else
Comparison sets you up for failure from the beginning. It tangles you in an ongoing cycle of insecurity in which you’ll never quite measure up.
The wrong kind of comparison puts attention on the assets of other people, rather than focusing on your strengths and goals.
Getting caught up in other peoples’ accomplishments causes you to lose sight of your values.
You wind up pursuing someone else’s goals rather than pursuing your own dreams.
Successful people understand that learning never stops. I just talked about lifelong learning in my last post.
Take time each day to talk with someone with opposing views, read a fascinating article on a topic you know little about, or watch a TED talk on new research.
Successful people never give up on things they believe in.
You may hold beliefs that many people disagree with, but if you’ve done your analysis and know that it’s the right belief for you, you shouldn’t let it go without a fight.
Determination creates guts, and guts achieve success.
Even if it takes years to achieve a goal, persisting is the key if you want success.
Success can be defined in many ways.
If you are experiencing happiness, love, or adventure at this moment, you’ve already found success. Keep it up.
What is success to you?
