How Do You Define Success?

What Do These Quotes All Have in Common?

"I don't know the key to success but the key to failure is to try to please everyone." Bill Cosby

"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do." Bob Dylan

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives." Albert Einstein

"The secret of success is constancy to purpose." Benjamin Disraeli

"Success is the progressive realization of predetermined, worthwhile, personal goals." Paul J. Meyer

I think the commonality is this:

1. Each person thought about what success meant to him.

2. None defined success in terms of others' expectations

Have You Taken Time to Define Success In Terms of Your Own Expectations?

If not, then maybe this is the day to start. If you don't, you are at risk.Think about it. Without a clear sense of what a successful life means to you, then everyone else can control your time, your choices, and your career. You have no firm basis on which to make decisions. And no way to tell yourself, "I'm doing fine!"

That means that others can tell you how they think you are doing and what they think you should be doing. Wouldn't it be nice to be clear about why they are so wrong?!

I believe you already know what success means to you. What's missing is the initial act of doing something consistent with what you know to be your true path.

Today is the day to take that first step. If you do, tomorrow may be your first day without regret.

 

Comments

[Prof KRG]

Defining success actually is much more difficult than it sounds. It seems that most of us think success is doing whatever we want. In other words, autonomy is success. Just out of curiosity, how do you define success?

[Ellen Weber]

Great triggers here - thanks Steve! Great insights to ensure a shared vision!

I like the notion of the team pre-defining success before any task begins. We agree on and facilitate 5 key criteria and all adhere to that target.

Do all those terrific tips by guys for men refer to gals too? :-) By the way - how goes?

[Al Pittampalli]

Having an internal locus of control is a fundamental part of being a leader. In a world full of uncertainty, being certain of your own goals and your own personal measurement of success is scarce, and thus really valuable. To thine own self be true.

[peter vajda]

Hi, Steve. Been a while...here's my take

What these, and hundreds of other success quotes, have in common is that they're all someone else's quotes, someone else's notion of success.

What I often find in my work are many who walk around with someone else's neat, cool, pithy success definition swimming around in their mind, but have never personalized it - so it's a "nice idea" but at 9:00 Monday morning they're mired in their own mis-alignment, confusion, self-doubt and mis-direction as they're attempting to gain "success" by mimicking another's dream or another's (idea of) success.

For me, the most important tool for success is reflection, deep reflection which many cannot or will not undertake. Thus, they live a life of indecision and dis-harmony as there's little to no alignment between what they say, feel, think and do.

On the other hand, many of these folks define success as "results". But getting results without learning something about one's self often leads to an incomplete and often "un-success-ful" life in the short or long term. Do-ing alone (i.e., results) without be-ing is not a solid formula for success. Perhaps the "successful" Bernie Ebbers of Enron and others who ended up in ignominy and infamy and testaments to this.

Many folks accomplish results ("success?") but without personal growth - and often wonder why they don't feel better, alive, fulfilled - often admitting they don't experience good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind, albeit they say they are "successful".

For me, the idea many have of success, can be quickly obliterated just as if they had written the word “success” in the sand on the beach - ephemeral - wiped out in a moment by a wave (of uncertainly, a hurricane, health issue, job loss, divorce, accident, old age, bank failure, etc.). Or, can it? It depends.

For some folks success can be gone in an instant; for others, not so, regardless of the circumstances. True success is perhaps discerning the difference.

So, I guess there's "success" and there's "success". Are the rich successful? The starving artist? The person in the corner office on the 52nd floor? The person in the mail room in the basement? You? Me?

Being successful requires a conscious exploration of what success means to you – creating your own quote. Until and unless you take the time to define success for yourself, there’s a good chance someone else is defining success for you. Is that OK?.

[Kristi Daeda]

Making the jump from defining success through others' eyes to defining it through my own was one of the most important steps I've taken to secure my own happiness.

The definition is still evolving as I see more possibilities, and as priorities change. But the fundamental core is the same.

One of the biggest challenges is screening out what the world says about what we can and should be.

Great post!