What does success mean to you?

Hi everyone,

Hope you’re all doing well. It’s been a while since we have posted, but we promise to be active this month. Today’s post is slightly different, perhaps a little more philosophical.

Success is a universally desired, but its definition is very subjective. Is it really objective, or do we choose to manipulate its meaning so that it suits what phase we are in life? There’s many possibilities on what the real definition is. The purpose of this post is to explore the many definitions, so that YOU can pick your version.

Happiness and Contentment: One of the many versions of success seems to accommodate the notion of being happy and content. This is primarily because as human beings we strive to be happy, and when that escapes us, we loose all sense of motivation and worth. The people that endorse this view often say that “money can’t buy all happiness”, they often even give examples of billionaires that have got all the money they could ever have yet aren’t content. This is probably because money brings a sense of hunger, the more you have, the more you want. You’re used to a certain way of living, anything less would leave your life disturbed, wouldn’t it? In this materialistic world especially, where owning the most technologically savvy gadgets, or owning designer clothing and accessories seems to be the trend. It is particularly hard to be content. This is because we try so hard to fit in with the set norms of what is seen as cool or acceptable, that we give ourselves these unrealistic goals.

Success is a Journey: My personal favorite.. to many, success is a journey, with many obstacles and many targets. Each time you overcome a certain obstacle to meet a certain goal, I’d classify that as an accomplishment. Whether it is big or small, it deserves a celebration. For example, when we apply to University and our offer is accepted . In most cases, the letter tells us the application is successful. When you graduate, you are told that you are successful. If that’s the case, then clearly being successful isn’t merely an end result. It’s a journey in which no matter what you are, and what you do, you are in a better position than yesterday and are continuously improving.

Success as in helping others: This is an interesting one because it takes off the focus from yourself, and thinks about others. You are successful when you are able to teach what you have learnt and mastered to others confidently.

“Success means I’m at liberty to help others reach THEIR success, instead of worrying about my own.”- Chris Brogan,

Success as in being rich: Did you know only 1% of the UK’s population earned six digit salaries? The rest of us are quite normal, leading quite normal lives. The reason why some people hold this view is because we work to make money. We have bills to pay, families to cater for and ideally we would like to have savings to “splurge” because “that’s what we deserve” after all these expenses are out of the way. So yes, I completely understand why people associate money with success. London for example is very expensive, so having decent savings after expenses and tax would definitely make a person think they’re doing well.

Success as in meeting your set goals: Whether these are personal or professional, it is very common for people to associate success with them meeting targets. Whether it is your personal goal of buying yourself a car by a certain age or a target set by your boss for you to meet certain sales targets. Meeting these targets would change your perception on yourself.

So what do you think? What’s your version of success? Do get in touch with us, we’d love to hear what your thoughts are on this post. Also, any ideas for the next post will be appreciated.

Thank you for reading, we will see you on the next one!

The Regeneration