Everyone defines success differently, and for some, success is constantly a moving target. In fact, sometimes I worry that I never feel like I will achieve success because I have an ongoing desire to keep raising the bar for myself. Not sure if this is good or bad yet. At some point we have to be happy right?
So, how do we know we are successful? I think the items below do a pretty good job in hitting on what a lot of people may consider personal success – whether they really know it yet or not.
1. You are successful if you call the shots in your career. If you have a fancy job but you’re afraid to tell your boss the truth because he or she might not like it, you are not successful yet.
2. You are successful if you know what you bring to employers and/or clients that helps them become successful themselves. If you let other people tell you what you should be doing in your career, you are not successful yet.
3. You are successful when you know how to find your backbone and your vocal cords and speak up when it’s appropriate. If you keep your mouth shut at work when a more self-confident person would speak, you are not successful yet.
4. You are successful when you give yourself permission to dream as big as you want. When you have a vision for your own life and are taking steps toward it — no matter how small the steps are or how long it might take you to reach that vision — you are already successful.
5. If you have people around whom you love and who love you back, you are successful. You can always get another job if one job goes away. Your career status at any moment does not mean a lot. Your state of mind, your belief in yourself and your passion for your own values mean everything!
In summary, success is a combination of being comfortable with yourself, being fully in control of your actions, and having the power to eliminate the things that hold us back. These all struck a chord with me, and it made me realize that I still have some work to do.
Check out Liz’s Forbes column here.
