How do you define "success" for you?
By GemmaR
@GemmaR (8517)
September 23, 2011 3:50pm CST
For me, as a person, I know that I am successful if I reach the goals that I have set myself in life. At the moment, I am trying to earn enough money to be able to afford my first house.
I know that I will be able to do this within the next couple of years, and I really do feel as though I am able to say that I am successful once I've done that.
However, I also think that it's important that we continue to set our goals in life, and that we don't give up with the things that we want to achieve.
How about you?
What would you define as "success" in your life? Do you feel as though you've achieved it to this point?
2 people like this
16 responses
@Netsbridge (3253)
• United States
23 Sep 11
While I would like to see all my efforts greatly rewarded and all my desires materialized, I believe success also means setting out to do a thing and accomplishing it to the best of my ability.
@GemmaR (8517)
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23 Sep 11
Yes it's of great importance to make sure that we measure our success based on our own ability and not that of somebody else. I have a very clever brother, and my parents are always comparing me to him and asking me why I don't do as well as he does in exams and also in various other situations in my life. I have told them that they shouldn't be doing this, as we're different people with different abilities, but they don't seem to understand that perhaps my success shouldn't be measured in the same way that his should be.
@huilichan8 (1378)
• Singapore
23 Sep 11
I would see myself as successful once I have achieved ALL my goals in life. So, at this point in time, I can't say that I am successful.
1 person likes this
@GemmaR (8517)
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23 Sep 11
But the thing is with that, would you be able to complete all of your goals before the end of your life? And, supposing you completed the goals that you'd set for yourself, when would you stop setting yourself more goals to complete? I think that one of the key things about being a human is the ability to work towards things that we want and, without having that in our lives, I just don't think that we are as happy. So if you complete your life goals by the time you're 60, would that mean that you wouldn't have anything to do for the rest of your life?
@GemmaR (8517)
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25 Sep 11
Wow, that really is a good aim to have in your life. I have been to a couple of countries where there are lots of orphans, and they just don't have the right kinds of facilities that they need to have in order to keep the children healthy and happy. So, if you felt as though you could provide this for them, this means that you would be making a real difference in their lives. I would love to be able to do that at some point, but at the moment I can't see that I would ever be able to get enough money together to be able to do that.
@huilichan8 (1378)
• Singapore
24 Sep 11
Yes, I can. The thing is, I have many goals in life and so it'll probably take my whole lifetime to achieve all of them. Once I achieve all these goals, I don't think I will set any more goals. I will most likely be spending most of my days doing volunteer work. (One of my goals is to set up an orphanage and so I will probably be spending my time helping children in this orphanage.)
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
23 Sep 11
I think success is anytime you set a goal and you actually reach it with satisfaction.
@GemmaR (8517)
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25 Sep 11
I agree. One of the great problems that I have is that I am never happy with the way that I have done things, and that means that I just never feel as though I have reached my goals fully so I am never satisfied with my own life and my own achievements. I always feel like that when I get exam results. If I haven't passed with the highest grade possible, even if I get a very good grade, I feel as though I have let myself and everyone else down because I might have been able to do a lot better if I'd worked harder.
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
27 Sep 11
Everybody's success is different. SOme look to the future, long term goals while some are contented with short term ones. Success need not be materialistic ones, and they can be feelings or even our characters. So long we feel a sense of fulfillment, achievement, that's a kind of success too. MAybe even if we feel happy, able to do what we wanted, no matter how small it is, it's a form of succes too 
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
3 Oct 11
As a human being, I've always viewed success as relative. There was a time when my goal was just to get a job, but after I've achieved that, I wanted something else. I wanted the 'right' job. And then when I got that, I wanted to climb up the career ladder.
My goal and success-level was always relative to whatever circumstances I found myself in.
@iCeeLuSh (187)
• Philippines
23 Sep 11
Well for me success means that I achieved everything (not that all but some) in my life. I can call my self a successful human being if I almost got everything around me like material things but you know i already feel successful human being right now because I got god.
1 person likes this
@GemmaR (8517)
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23 Sep 11
I agree that having God with us can help us a lot in our success. As long as we have Him on our side, and if we trust in Him, there is nothing that can go wrong providing we do our best to work hard in our lives and get the things that we truly deserve. I think that there are many more things that are important in life other than material things, but unfortunately because the world is the way it is, many people measure things in material goods so sadly most people will measure success based on those things rather than anything else.
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
24 Sep 11
Reaching any goal in life is a good measure of success. Right now I do not feel successful. I've set some goals that will take a long time to achieve. I'm in school, but won't graduate for another year. I'm working part-time, but I want a better job. I might feel successful if I get a better job, but I'm not sure. I think even my next job will just be a stepping stone. I was trying to save up for a nicer place to live, but then I started spending all the money I'd saved because I want my kids to have nice things.
I guess in some aspects I am successful. My kids are happy and healthy and I'm able to give them lots of things they want. Though I know having a better house is something they want too. My oldest especially wants a nicer place to live, that's all he's been talking about for the past few weeks.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
24 Sep 11
I define success quite simply, if I have people in my life that I love and they love me, that am pretty close to perfect success! Certainly achieving my personal goals and leading a good and decent life are measures of success. To me it is not about wealth or fame but how I feel when I look in the mirror every day.
@chendaimi (153)
• China
24 Sep 11
for me, my definition of "success" is similar to you, if i finish a goal i setting before,i would think that is a kind of success. success does not mean a great achievement.
@rollylolly (2843)
• India
24 Sep 11
I had to go through a very difficult phase in my life . All that time I wanted to be successful by getting healed . Day and night I prayed but chances seemed so bleak . Then in 2008 I and my family accepted Jesus as our saviour and lord . Praise the lord ! Miraculously I was healed . I was successful in overcoming my illness through Jesus . Now I can boldly and proudly say that I am a successful human being .
@pennywise25 (321)
• Mexico
24 Sep 11
Success for me means thinking about a goal to achieve in the future, write it down, and the get back 10 years later and check how close to that I am. The closer I am, the more successful I will feel. Success for me means to become into the closest thing to what you dreamt.
@silpatenneti (72)
• India
24 Sep 11
I define success when i reach my goals,i have two goals im my life.one is very near to achieve,and second one takes many years to achieve,but i surely achieve.when i reach it,then i say i am successfull in my life.
@AnnieliCI (8)
• Philippines
24 Sep 11
Success for me means being happy with what I'm doing and with the people I work with and not because of the money that the company pays or the perks that comes with being employed in a particular company. Success for me means being in a state of contentment and just enjoying the things that I do.
@maki1314520 (113)
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24 Sep 11
For now, I am not yet successful. Success for me is the same as you define it. Reaching the goal that I've set. I'm trying hard to reach those goals. And I won't give up until I'm successful.. happy and contented. :)
@arnoldream (1332)
• Philippines
23 Sep 11
success for me is not having attained the highest possible place in your career,or having finished some doctorate degrees in school, its not even having all the materials and money anybody have long for. for me success is is state of happiness, joy and a perfect peace spending your lot while traveling in this so called life. and money and materials could not give that..its a secret we kept with my dear friend...happy mylotting
@best2011 (210)
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23 Sep 11
i would define success in this way : achieving your desires,goals after so much hardship is called the success .. at the moment i dont think that im successful the reason is simple that i havent finished my bachelors degree apart from it im also working nowadays but i havent find the job which i like .. so in short i can say that i havent started my career yet ,, so when i will start my successful career so it will the day only when i will think that yes im successful
