Recently, I was asked about my definition of success.
I’ll be honest, it caught me off guard. Not because of who or how it was asked, but because I’d never really thought about it. What is success?
At 29, I’m just now getting the hang of being an adult. I have a stable job, an awesome husband, a decent house, and my clothes are (for the most part) folded and put away. Any adulting beyond that is still a mystery. So, really, what do I know about success?
Maya Angelou said that, “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” That seems like a pretty decent definition, however vague. I mean, I’m all those things, but does that mean I’m successful?
Is it having a pile of money? Maybe owning a giant house on a hill? Or having the ability to travel whenever and to wherever I want? Wait, no. I just described Scrooge McDuck. No one really wants to be Scrooge McDuck.
Finally, I decided to get out my handy camera ask our team. Maybe someone could give me a glimpse into what success really means. And, you know what? Their answers told me nothing about the definition of success – but a whole heck of a lot about the nature of success. Check it out.
 
 
See, I learned that there are an infinite number of definitions and an infinite number of ways to achieve success. Some may be simple. Others many be ambitious. But each definition of success is unique.
So what do I know about success?
Success is personal. While there may be common themes – financial and physical safety, love and connection, creating a legacy – your success is not my success. And that’s great! Because your definition of success is a definition of self. Your values, interests, and experiences are all factors that influence this definition. It’s as unique to you as your fingerprint.
Success needs goals. If success is the what, then goals are the how. When you define success, you choose your destination. But when you set goals, you choose the route by which you get there. Each goal is an opportunity. Succeed or fail? Take the easier route or the more rewarding one? Stay the course or choose a new destination? They’re little destinations in a larger journey.
Success needs failure. Like yin and yang, success and failure are two sides of the same coin. Failures can be catalysts for achievement or obstacles that help reshape your definition. Yeah, they can hurt like hell. But the easy path is rarely the most rewarding.
Success is evolving. As failures and achievements collect, your definition of success will shift.  If you’d have asked me at 19 what success is, I would have said it’s living to 30. At 29, perspective and progress have significantly changed my views.
Now that you’ve learned about our definitions of success, what’s yours?
 

While trying to define success, Aimee ended up learning a lot about the nature of success (with the help of her teammates) in her first video lesson. So now it’s your turn; what do you consider success? 
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