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Unless you have been living on a distant planet in a galaxy far, far away (sorry, I just could not resist), you may have noticed that an election has taken place across the pond. Supporters of president elect Donald Trump have celebrated his success while the advocates of Hillary Clinton had to contend with sadness, disbelief and bewilderment. It’s not a political point I am making here. Rather, it is the concept of what success is
and how it manifests itself in our world.
The typical definitions of success tend to summarise success as the achievement of a goal or series of actions within a given period of time or set parameters. SMART goal setting tells us that the objectives we set must be ‘achievable’ and ‘realistic’ (accepting other uses of alternative words). If being successful is our goal, then before we can decide if it is achievable ort realistic, we need to define what we mean by success. For example, after a football match that ended in a draw, one or both managers may say that it was a successful outcome, even though they did not win. Alternatively, one or both may say that it was a disappointing result.
Empirical evidence and mainstream thinking tends to associate success with wealth, status, fame and the enhancement of economic achievement. Russ Alan Prince sees success coaching as a process that is predominantly educational in nature and has both money and wealth as an outcome. However, this view is not shared by all. In his 2016 blog entitled ‘What is Success?’ Steve Mueller argued that the pursuit of these mainstream aspects often left people feeling unsatisfied, unhappy and without the sense of having a purpose. He promotes
the development of a more holistic answer to his question which includes defining success as:
- Loving what you do.
- Choosing happiness over riches.
- Building something of value.
- Making the world a better place.
- Enjoying each moment.
- Being courageous and overcoming opposition.
He continues with even more suggestions, which is a good place to ask you what your definition of success is. What is success to you? Why is it important? What will you have once you have achieved it? What areas do you want to be successful in? What is the cost of your success and the journey to get there? Is it worth it (yes, a closed question; how dare I)? I am sure you could ask yourself even more.
Steve Mueller also observes that there are many ways of measuring success, other than how much wealth or fame you may have.
Steve Mueller also observes that there are many ways of measuring success, other than how much wealth or fame you may have. Other considerations include the impact you have on others, the obstacles or hurdles that you have had to overcome, the goals achieved (no matter what the size) and the path you have chosen to follow. How do you measure your success? How would others measure and define your success?