21 Oct What is success and how does it relate to our goals

What is success and how does it relate to our goals?

First I asked the dictionary and this is what I found:

Noun:

1. The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.

2. The good or bad outcome of an undertaking.

Synonyms: favourable outcome, successfulness, favourable result, successful outcome, positive result, victory, triumph.

Okay, that makes sense right?

Then I asked the internet.

The internet said: “How does success make you feel?”

What would you reply with? Most people had something positive to say. So why do you think success is predominantly associated with positivity despite the dictionary meaning for success saying that the outcome can be either good or bad? The meaning of success is getting to the outcome – whether it is positive or negative.

Most people will agree that having/being a success is a good thing! When they think of success they usually think of material benefits, happiness, accomplishments and the end goal. Success can include all of these things, so maybe we need to look at our goals. Success is generally about the bigger picture, but it can also relate to small goals in our life. Therefore success can relate to almost anything.

To most people the idea of success generally relates to money and wealth. It’s pretty obvious that society seems to base the entire idea of success primarily by how much money a person earns or what material items they have. This way of thinking has more to do with the opinions of others than the actual substance/meaning of the word. Success and happiness are often closely connected, however many “successful” people are also unhappy within other aspects of their lives. So does that mean you CAN have one without the other?

Maybe the question to ask is…

What is success to you? Personal success comes in many different forms and your concept of success might not be the same as another’s. The first step to achieving success is asking what it means to you. So what do you define success as? What are your goals? Never mind what anyone else is thinking and ask yourself. What success would make you happy?

Have a personal definition of what success means to you and then set your goals based around this idea. This is the only way to make your goals truly successful. Striving to succeed according to somebody else’s definition may win you their admiration, but will it bring you a sense of personal satisfaction and happiness?

If you want your personal success to make you feel happy, then take some time right now to think and write down your personal goals. Be specific for each one and decide what area of your life it refers to. It could be anything from a fitness goal to learning to get out of bed in the morning or even saving for a holiday! Make sure you know every exact detail of your end goal.

For me I always have a pole dancing goal I want to achieve. I try to keep my mind on one move that I want to learn! For me to feel a sense of achievement I don’t want to be able to just do the skill, I want to be able to do it consistently and effortlessly. This is where success becomes personal, someone else might base their success on the first time they do it. The range of your success is up to you! I call these my baby steps. Sometimes having goals that are too difficult or unrealistic can lead to feeling defeated, which is why I like to have small ones along the way – baby steps!

I find that having small goals helps me with achieving success in my bigger goals. Achieving the smaller goals makes me happy, which in turn keeps me motivated to strive towards the bigger goals. Remember that if you get to your goal and it didn’t turn out the way you wanted that still classes as success! You still followed it through until the end and achieved your outcome, now you need to get up and move towards the next one; don’t get stuck in one place. 🙂

If the thought of being successful sounds good to you then get clear on what success means! Find your personal definition of success and write it down. I promise that you will start feeling successful immediately. Here’s the main point to take away from this:

Success is a multifaceted, personal idea. By finding what that represents to you personally, and by taking the time to decide on your goals and achievements, you will be on your way to move your life in the direction of success.

Sinead