What does success mean to you? While some people feel successful if they have a lot of money or material things, for others, success means being loved by many or being healthy and giving back to the community. But what does success mean to you?
Everyone has a different definition of success, and the way you define it is what makes you and your personal accomplishments unique. A stay-at-home mom might define success as being able to give her family what it needs from the time she gets up, throughout the whole day, until everyone goes to sleep at night. Being promoted or starting her own business may be the definition of success for a career woman. An athlete could define success as climbing up the professional ranks within his or her sport. On the other hand, some people define success as the simple ability to live and enjoy every day.
You need to determine how you define success. When you’re deciding what motivates you, ask yourself two initial questions “What does success mean to me?” And, “What do I want out of life?”
Other Questions to Consider
During your self-reflection, you might also want to ask yourself a few more questions, like…
“In 5 years, where would I like to be?” Note that this question does not ask where you see yourself in 5 years. You’ll just visualize an improved version of yourself if you ask yourself that question. Instead, think about what you want in 5 years.
“What does happiness in my career mean to me?” This will help you identify whether you’re obtaining satisfaction from your career.
“How can I get to where I want to be?” Knowing this requires you to know the answer to the first question above. After all, you won’t be able to get to where you want to be if you don’t know where that is. And, you need to be proactive to get there – it won’t just happen on its own.
“In what aspects of my life do I want to achieve success?” Everyone wants success in more than one aspect of their life, so set several goals. For instance, one goal might involve your hobbies or your family, while another might relate to your career.
“What are my goals in life?” Although the answer will correspond to the aspects of your life where you determine success is important to you, you’ll need to write down your actual goals and some realistic milestones.
“What type of balance do I need to achieve in my life?” In order to feel fulfilled, you’ll need to strike a balance between your family, work, and some personal time of your own. It’s especially important to find an equal balance among all the different aspects of your life if you tend to overextend yourself. That way, nothing will get overlooked.
Evaluate Yourself
These questions will help you identify and define what personal success means to you. No one else can do that for you. You’re going to be unhappy if you follow someone else plan to achieve success even though it really doesn’t suit your personality. Instead, evaluate yourself, identify your needs, goals and dreams, and then put everything into perspective. Your personal success is all yours, and no one can make these decisions for you.
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