How To Define The Meaning of Success

How To Define The Meaning of Success

Success does not mean the same thing for everyone. Earning a great deal of money is one measure of success. Working in a job that you enjoy and feel passionately committed to is another. But what if you?re working in a job that does not pay much money, but gives you a great deal of pleasure? Can you still consider yourself a success?

There is a great article in Inc. Magazine that deals with the entire notion of success. ?The meaning of success cannot be reduced to either a monetary metric or having a particular job. The amount of control you have over your time is the real measure of your success, according to the author.

There is much truth to what he says. Taking in millions of dollars each year may be a source of comfort and pride. But if you have to work in a grinding, miserable job in which you have little control over what you do from hour-to-hour, then you cannot say that you live a completely satisfying life.

There is definitely a link between controlling your time and your quality of life. You can only do the things you really want to do if you can make your time your own. Having money makes this easier, of course. But you will have to figure out just how much money you need in order to pursue the plans and projects that will give you a sense of self-fulfillment.

The article in Inc. Magazine deals with this issue at length. However, my one objection is that the author writes as though everyone can start out in a position in which they have control over their time. This is unrealistic. For most people, controlling their time is a long-term goal rather than an immediate aim. The important thing is that you begin your career by defining for yourself the meaning of success. Doing so will give you something towards which you can work, strive, and achieve.