Defining Success

Whether you can admit it or not, success is something we all strive for. Sometimes it overtakes every mental capacity we have and everything we do ends up being in service of somehow reaching that treasured golden peak. But what exactly is waiting at the top of the mountain? And how are we supposed to know when we’ve gotten there? Big questions, I know. Today, I’m going to try to answer them.

I actually decided to write this blog post while I was doing some production work for another piece I released on the blog a couple of months ago. I had asked friends and followers for some questions to answer while I talked about some of my favorite vegan foods. There were some standard questions—favorites and whatnot—but there was one that really got me thinking…

How do you define success [after college]?

Let me start off by saying that I think everyone defines success differently. Okay, yes, a little bit of a cop out, but it’s true. Success for you is going to be different than success for me. All of that is to say that only you can really tell when you’ve succeed at something. The end.

Okay, no. Let’s lay out a basic outline to get you on the right track. WARNING: The steps to defining success may require introspective self-reflection. Continue at your own risk. Okay, start with what you know about where you want your life to go. In order to find success in some thing, you need to first have something you want to succeed in. I want to make it clear that none of your life goals need to be “big goals.” Maybe you want to learn how to play the violin—not for monetary or recognition purposes, but just because you’ve always wanted to learn. That’s a goal.

The accomplishment of an aim or a purpose

That’s the common definition of success—I mean, according to Google. Simple enough, right? Find your purpose, then accomplish it. Like an item off your checklist. We’ve already talked about how your goal doesn’t need to be life-altering—at least, not all of them. Start small. Then—and this is the most important part—make every decision in service of that goal.

Obviously, there are exceptions—ones that will help you retain your health and morals (also, please don’t break any laws)—but for the most part, I stand by what I said. If your goal is to travel the world, then start researching best practices for how to do that. Start saving a percentage of your paycheck to get you through your trip. Maybe even find someone to travel with. Or don’t. Whatever. If you really want to succeed at this goal of yours, then you have to make the moves to get yourself there.

The part you can’t control about all of this is how people are going to perceive your success. And the answer to that question is however they want to. Some people are going to acknowledge that “you’ve done something great, but…,” or “so-and-so took over the family business five years before you did, so…” It may be hard at times, but don’t surround yourself with people that aren’t going to celebrate your successes with you. If you’ve reached that point where you’ve accomplished your goal the way that you first envisioned it, then congratulations on your success.

I want to be happy. That’s my ultimate life goal. So as my life progress, I keep a mental track of the things that make me happy. And every decision as I move forward is always in service of achieving that goal. That’s the road to success.

You’ll know the destination when you get there—you’re the one that set it. And after you find it? Well, take some pictures, bask in the glory, then get back out there and find a new dream.

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What aims or purposes in life have you accomplished? And how did you know? I still find myself struggling sometimes to maintain a good mindset about what I want my own success to look like, so I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips in the comments section below!

You may have noticed I’ve been a little MIA these last couple of weeks. I’ll be completely candid with you all and say that I’ve had some things crop up that have taken my time and my mental energy, but moving forward, I am slowly picking up the few pieces I’ve kind of let drop here and there. I’m working on getting ahead in posts in the next couple of days, so we shouldn’t be experiencing more delays any time soon.

Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay the most up-to-date on any changes or delays to my posting schedule! It’s also the best way to give me your input on what blog posts you want to see and perhaps even be featured in one! As always, thanks for staying patient and reading my work! I’ll see you guys next week!