We want to be successful.

We want to live meaningful and fulfilling lives and have the material and financial means to do so. It’s part of our human nature to want to be successful. But what exactly does this mean? How do you know if you’re successful, on your way to success, or failing? How do you know when you’ve become successful and can start to relax and enjoy what you’ve worked so hard to accomplish? 

To answer all of these questions, you have to define what being successful means to you. There is no right or wrong answer. It is different for every one of us. For some, it means getting a coveted position at work. Someone else may define success as being able to build their dream house. Another person may define success as being able to travel the world. Another person will measure it in dollars in the savings account or total net worth.

Success will also mean something different in different areas of your life. Think of success in terms of work, relationships, and health for example. To be successful at work and to be successful in your marriage, for example, can be two entirely different things. In some cases, they may even contradict each other. To do well at work and be considered for a promotion, you may have to be willing to put in long hours and bring home files to work on at night or in the evening. The same holds true when you’re building your own business. These extended working hours can cause tension in a relationship if your significant other starts to feel neglected or they have to take on too many responsibilities at home.

In short, there’s a lot to consider and think about when it comes to success. At the same time, it’s essential that you do this thinking and define what it means to you to be successful, in all areas of your life. Don’t let this overwhelm you. You don’t have to work on everything all at once, and you don’t have to reach your long-term goals in a matter of weeks. You can’t. But you need to know where you want to be heading so you can start to make and measure progress.

You can’t set goals for yourself if you don’t know what success means. Start by defining your very own version of success and then set some goals and milestones for yourself based on your definition of success.