What does success really mean to you?

Success is a word we hear every day, yet its meaning can vary dramatically from one person to another. For some, success may be measured by financial achievement or career progression, while for others it may be defined by relationships, wellbeing, contribution or personal fulfilment. The challenge is that many people spend years pursuing someone else's definition of success without ever stopping to consider what success truly means to them. 

What is success?

We all know what ‘success’ means, don’t we? In its simplest terms, it might be defined as ‘the achieving of results wanted or hoped for’. But the meaning of success is far more complex because it is subjective: who has stipulated the result, and who is doing the wanting or hoping?

When asked to think of a successful business, you may come up with Apple or Google. Asked to think of a successful person, people like Bill Gates and Richard Branson may come to mind.

Society's definition of success

Whilst their successes may go beyond financial, it would be hard not to view this as the dominant one. It is easy to get caught up in the images and reports of successful people being the ones who have amassed great financial fortunes.

This is not to deny this as success - the creation and accumulation of wealth is a success if that’s what you set out to achieve.

Why do we know more about the Kardashians than the people involved in the rescue of the many thousands of refugees? Which most represents success: having huge financial wealth or saving lives?  It’s somewhat shocking to acknowledge that we are apparently fascinated by people who have huge amounts of wealth and flaunt it, and that those who are saving lives are barely given a nod, and I wonder how this impacts our meaning of success.

It takes resolve to stand by our own values and resist the pressures from society and others around us; to establish our own measures of success and stay true to them.

Defining success for yourself

Many clients reference ‘success’ amongst their aspirations and go on to question what that means for them. How can we ever be successful if we haven’t defined what success means for us personally?

Success in business

If we start a business, we will need to produce a business plan for our bank or lender. This will need to detail: income, expenditure, profit and timescales. Not surprising that this is all about the money, given that the banks are only interested in the financial prospects and returns. But what, to you, as a business owner, makes your business successful? Maybe it’s about customer service and reputation, maybe the loyalty of your staff, maybe the work/life balance that it allows you. And what are your priorities?

When success doesn't feel fulfilling

Increasingly, we hear of people who have worked hard towards achieving their goals of a high salary, an expensive lifestyle and a powerful position in business, only to find when they get there that they are not fulfilled. They had been so captivated by others’ definition of success that they hadn’t given enough thought to their own.

Start at the end

So how do you get a firm grasp on your personal definition with so much pressure around you? One way is to start at the end and think back: when you get towards the end of your life and take in all that you have achieved and how you have achieved it, what do you want to feel proud of?

Creating your own definition of success

It’s worth taking some time to get really clear so that you can capture your meaning of success, in whatever way works for you. Only when you have your answer can you start on the right track towards your success.