Defining Sucess

What does it mean, and why does it matter?

To begin our conversation I usually offer a definition for us to work from, but today I’m not going to do that. I can’t do that today because…Success can be defined in many ways, and more importantly it's not up to me to pick a definition of success for you and your life, it’s up to you to choose what success means for your life.

It may be clear that I cannot determine success for you, but we are mistaken if we think our career and life choices are purely independent. There are so many influences out there.

Far too frequently, we allow external influences and false beliefs to dictate our perception of success. For Example: We let a stranger on social media tell us what success is or we take on the definition of a friend or loved one we look up to or admire?

As we step into this topic/process of defining success, I want to encourage you to remember that it’s your life, it’s your opportunity and your responsibly to decide what it looks like, what success means for you, your career, your life.

So now let’s get to work on writing your success definition – I want to offer you a list of reflection questions (6 to be exact) to help you get started writing your definition.

• What makes you the happiest?

• What are your values and priorities in life?

• What do you want to achieve personally and professionally?

• How do you want to make a positive impact on the world?

• What kind of lifestyle do you want to live?

• What kind of relationships do you want with your family, friends, and community?

In addition to reflecting on these questions, it can be helpful to explore what your definition of success is in the context of being holistically “well”. What do I mean? Success is NOT just about achieving in one area of our lives, but rather, it encompasses all aspects of your existence. This means when defining success we need to examine each aspect or dimension of our lives.

We can use the well-being wheel to help us with that process. Take a look at each dimension and ask yourself the following questions:

1. "What does it mean to be (emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, physically, environmentally, financially, occupationally and socially) successful?" and/or

2. "What is my definition of (emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, occupational and socially) success?"

This process of defining might take some time, but I encourage you not to ignore this step. Defining success is a critical step towards achieving it. Think of your definition as a starting point on your journey to flourishing.

Why does it matter?

Knowing what success means to you helps you to set clear goals and priorities in your life. When you know what success means to you, you can focus your time and energy on the things that matter most and avoid getting sidetracked by distractions or other people's expectations.

Defining success can help you to feel more fulfilled and satisfied with your life and your work and you can take steps to achieve your goals and live a life that aligns with your values and passions.

Then what?

Once you can define success and know clearly what it looks like it’s important to next ask yourself,

• "What do I need to achieve the success I desire? and
  

• "What obstacles exist between me and my goal(s)?"

As you think about what you need and what obstacles you face on your journey, I want to remind you that you are not alone. We exist as a part of communities. How can you lean on your community to navigate and overcome obstacles that exist between you and your goal/success?

GROW exists because I care about you and your potential. GROW is just one example of a community support in your life. Think about how you can use your community to help you achieve your success goals and how you can support others on thier journey.

If you are looking for community I invite you to check out the GROW Community resources.