What Success Means To Me

People often believe that leading a successful life is equal to having a fulfilling one. But what does success mean to me? Lately, I have been thinking about this question, and I quickly realized that success is a subjective matter. Every person defines success differently, thus finding happiness in different things.

Over the years, I have gone through various stages of both failure and success. My experiences have taught me valuable lessons, which made me realize what my goal in life is. Below, I will try to explain the ways with which I measure my success.

“Success is measured by the minute. By the year. By the stage of life.”

Measuring Success in Different Periods

One thing that I’ve come to realize is that we are always evolving. I am not the same person I used to be in my 20’s and I’m sure that I will change as I move forward in life. For this reason, I have found it useful to measure success for different periods. What I consider a short-term success is vastly different from my notion of a long-term one. Therefore, I have come by the habit of measuring my success by the minute, hour, date, month, and year. In more detail, what I look in each period is this:

• By the minute – I look at all the decisions I take in life. Would I take them again? Is my decision to live my life in this way fulfilling to me?

• By the hour – I always search for those little finishing lines throughout my day. The way I have chosen to live my life will affect my ability to reach these lines every single day.

• By the day – a question I like to ask myself is “would you choose to live this day again?”

• By the month – I always try to find the progress I make month by month. Am I closer to my long-term goals? What steps have I taken towards them?

• By the year – Have I improved all facets of my life? Am I where I want to be physically, mentally, spiritually, and financially? Have I grown stronger?

Measuring Success in Different Stages of Life

Throughout my journey in life, I have gained various titles. I had been an employee before becoming a business owner. I have become a husband and a father. All of these things make me who I am. So, success is not a single thing. At the moment, I’m trying to become a simple man that values life as it is. I want to become a more caring and better father to my children, and right now, this is what success means to me.

Finding Motivation Every Single Day

Another thing that I’ve come to understand is that success means realizing what is really important so that you find motivation every day. I have realized that if you only focus on the financial aspect, you will always feel poor. Similarly, if you always focus on your looks, you will always feel ugly. The secret to succeeding in life is to realize what’s important to you, and not let superficial things distract you.

I have found it very useful to create a mantra, one that I know that I can’t ever reach, but one that keeps me motivated. It’s like setting a clear goal that I know that it’s unachievable. I try to make this goal measurable, and one that satisfies my needs. Then, I have the motivation I need to run towards it.

Success can take all shapes and sizes. The most important thing is to stay true to yourself and always fight for what feels right to you.