How Do We Measure Success?
How do you measure success? How do you achieve success? Can you define success differently at different stages of life? The dictionary defines success as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose; however, the meaning of success and happiness is found in the eye of the beholder. I struggle with the concept of success because it has been explained to me in a number of different ways and societal norms depict a very ambiguous version of what success looks like. Maybe there are characteristics, achievements or material goods that overlap between those who deem themselves successful, but success comes from within. Success does not necessarily present itself as an end goal; instead, it is an evaluative tool used throughout any stage. My mom taught me that success might present itself differently as my priorities grow and change with me. I felt like this was the most fulfilling version of success that I have encountered because success is not meant to be an intangible, unreachable state. It also is not fixed and can be different because people are different.
When I think about success, I think about the balance of being where my feet are and looking ahead. I am a goal-oriented person, and since I set multiple goals at once, it is hard for me to celebrate my wins sometimes because there is always something else. As motivating as that is, it is not always the right mentality. Maybe it is my own form of imposter syndrome or self-doubt that I do not feel like I am successful with each new accomplishment. Maybe it is because I am so focused on achievement that it is crucial always to have a goal that I am working towards. My mom would often pull me back into reality: “don’t rush into the next stage of life, Lia. You will have plenty of time to do that. Enjoy now.” She was right every time. I think this finally clicked for me recently. I was in a group exercise where we were creating professional vision statements. To effectively complete the activity, we had to think about our goals and who we wanted to be as professionals. I remember thinking to myself, “do I really have to think about who I want to be as a professional in the future, even though I am just starting my career? I just accepted an offer for my first full-time job out of college. Can’t I just be happy with that for now?” I worked hard to get to where I am, and I felt like that was an achievement worth celebrating. At that moment, I realized what I could not understand before: success is continual and relative.
There are different times in my life when I considered myself successful based on desired outcomes or goals I had met. Now, as I look back on those milestones, they feel seemingly insignificant to how I would measure my success now. I think this is both a positive and detrimental thing; I am glad that I have grown to where I want to strive for more, but I also never want to lessen my achievements because I have to be my greatest cheerleader.
I think we all need to celebrate our successes more. I am going to start by being more present. I do not want to look back and have regrets that I did not savor significant moments. I also think we should celebrate the successes of those around us more. Tell people that they are making an impact or that you are proud of what they have accomplished. I view success differently because I see how others perceive success. In my opinion, there are no right or wrong ways to measure success; there is no formula that can calculate how close you are. However, I think people can see from the outside when you are on the path to achieving success. Maybe it is intermixed with the idea of potential and work ethic, but it is remarkable to watch someone in pivotal stages of their personal journey.
I want to continue the trend of my quote of the week, but I could not pick just one when it came to success. Here are a few of my favorites:
“I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.”
— Estee Lauder
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
— Colin Powell
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
— Albert Schweitzer
“People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed. Similarly, when someone is failing, the tendency is to get on a downward spiral that can even become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
— Tony Robbins
“Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life; it’s about what you inspire others to do.”
— Unknown
More About The Author
Lia Esposito is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill pursuing a degree in Media and Journalism concentrating in Advertising and Public Relations with an English Minor. She is currently a social media strategist in the fintech industry.