Defining Success in Life

Since childhood, we have been told, ‘Be Successful in Whatever You Do When You Grow up’. Carrying forward this motto in life, we decide our future choices, careers, certain life decisions and whatnot. However, we often forget to truly understand the meaning of success. Success in life can be different for each individual. Most of the time, it is based on their perspective toward life and goals.

In this article, we will talk about what success is and the definition of success. People often understand success in life as earning money, buying real estate, getting workplace promotions, etc. On the other hand, some individuals consider success in life as inner peace, achieving mindfulness, mental stability, etc.

What is success in life?

The literal definition of success is ‘favourable or desired outcome’. Here, when we talk about favourable or desired, one can have specific parameters for their success in life. Hence, they want the outcome or result of their situation, the careers they choose, or workplaces to be according to their own measures. 

Taking mental peace as the parameter of one’s success, it is certain that maintaining serenity in a challenging situation will be an achievement for that individual. 

Myths of success

Moving forward with our topic, let us look at myths people hold about success in life. 

1. Following the traditional path

Society has always asked us to follow a specific path toward success. However, Barker says, ‘those who skip the traditional ways of success and take a different approach than others often go on to be successful leaders like Steve Jobs and Abraham Lincoln. Instead, they redefine success and take steps accordingly.  

 2. Focus on your success

A famous saying in today’s generation goes, ‘ be concerned for your own growth instead of looking after someone else’s struggle’. However, one should think that we are human beings. It is human nature to help others. According to Adam Grant’s research, those who help others are more successful in their careers. If one expects to grow, we have to grow together. 

3. Quitting might be the only answer

In order to be successful, we decide to engage ourselves in many projects. We try to create a strong portfolio. In this process, sometimes, one can fail to look after the number of threads one pulls. Erik Barker suggests that if one starts feeling that they have more money, success, etc., that is the best time to quit. Just because one cannot do any activity, it does not signify failure. It can also indicate that it is time to take a break.

4. Believe in yourself

There is a fine line between confidence and belief in oneself. Carrying too much confidence can trigger the blame game. Barker mentioned that believing in yourself with whatever skills you have is important to success. One has to believe in the notion that no one is perfect and we need to embrace our flaws and work on them.

How to get success in life?

To be truly successful in life, one needs to eliminate the above-mentioned myths from their life. Define what is important in their life. The significant factor to be considered is the definition of success for oneself. Achieving mental peace or achievements at the workplace can also be a success. 

There is no specific way towards success. All you need to decide is what your goal is. The next step would be to determine whether your goals are short-term or long-term in the context of success. Once that is decided, look for the desired outcome of the project. The last step is to act on the selected task.

Defining success in life 

Success is when you fulfil everything you set out to do in life and are happy with what you are doing.

– Dustee Kahale

In the psychological language, one needs to look after the emotions one receives after achieving that success in life. If these emotions are not healthy or are becoming emotionally tiring, then one needs to rethink their concept of success. 

As Eli Straw tells us, we need to see what success in life looks like for us. We must introspect about whether we are acting or behaving towards that particular success in our minds. After defining success for yourself, decide what it will take or what you think will be an accomplishment toward that success. 

Success is a destination

We cannot reach our destination without a required journey. We need to go through that process if we want to reach our desired destination. It is an integral part of it. However, we also need appropriate directions to reach the destination.

 Being confident and firm about your destination can be beneficial for your success. Aimless actions can be frustrating and can take a mental toll on the individual. 

One needs to see if they are enjoying the journey they are on. One needs to keep checking if they are satisfied with their success. If not, then there can be alarming red flags for mental health.

Benefits of defining success

As the article talks about success, let us look at the key benefits of defining success:

1. Less anxiety and stress

If one clearly focuses on their success definition, one does not have to worry about their future-oriented actions. After defining the success, one will eventually take desired and needful actions for the same. This helps in managing stress about any kind of work or project.

2. Improved positivity

It is proven that having a clear vision of your goals helps you to think in a more positive and productive manner. It helps to also boost motivation. This type of thinking is important in pushing our limits and giving our 100% for the desired outcome.

3. Increased focus

As we will be more focused on our goal, it will help us narrow our attention and focus. It is beneficial for the project and our quality of work. The more focused one is, the more speed we can apply in our work.

In conclusion, we need to set a clear definition in the context of our success. We need to be clear about our future. However, in this process, one element we need to focus on is leaving aside the judgement of others about our success in life. We need to maintain our attention and not get distracted because of that. 

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