Defining that seven letter word - Success
If someone put you in the hot seat and asked you to define “success”, what would you say? Would you be confident in defining this almighty word that we, as a society, weigh so much importance on? Would you feel capable of listing successes or moments of accomplishments within your own life? Whilst it’s easy to pose rhetorical questions without having a backstory, it’s not so easy to actually define this seven letter word. Success.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines “success” as ‘the accomplishment of an aim or purpose, the attainment of fame, wealth, or social status’. This definition isn’t exactly new, nor does it spark ‘the light bulb of realisation’, but it does leave gaps for subjective interpretation. And so began the quest for individual definitions of success. Our first ‘hot seater’, a 28-year old male professional, quickly responded “...within what context?” Light was shone on the interpretation that success is fluid and takes on different forms, dictated by context. He later went on to vocalise that success is a “life with no constraints- physical, mental or financial. Allowing me and/or my family to live however I / they choose”. In this instance, the hot seater shared an “end vision” of success that was rather idealistic.
The bread crumbs of success began to form a path. The trail of crumbs later led to Richard St. John, well established writer and business mentor. He is known for ‘8 To Be Great: The Eight Traits Successful People Have in Common’ which he divulges further thoughts on in his Ted Talk Success is a Continuous Journey. His opening line, “Why do so many people reach success and then fail?” startles us and forces us to ponder the temporary state or apparition of success. John focusses on success in a business context but parallels the significance of this success across life: personal and professional.
Definitions of success vary (slightly) but they’re joined by the thread of an ‘end result’ an accomplishment that can be ‘measured’. In business speak, these can be referred to as: appraisal, targets, success criteria, key performance indicators...a variety of labels that so easily roll of the tongue. Interestingly, when we define ‘accomplishment’ it is ‘something that has been achieved successfully’. The two go hand in hand. But what joins success and accomplishment together is … drum roll please … goal setting and support. So while we can occasionally stumble upon success in life, this is generally very rare. Success is a by product of goal setting and continuous hard work.
Another ‘hot seater’, this time a mid 50 year old female, thought harder before sharing her view on success. In a slightly more profound manner she detailed success - “You can have success in many different ways. Success is when you’re happy with something and it’s gone well. You can have success when you’ve nurtured a plant and it flowers. You can have success when you get out of bed. You can have success when you bake a cake.” Unpacking this definition, metaphorically, offers a broad understanding indeed. In this case, our success is dependant upon our ability to care, provide, nurture and grow those, or our interests, around us. Getting out of bed reflects the drive, enthusiasm and oomph that is needed each-and-every-day in our quest for success. As for the cake- it’s important so see and recognise success. Furthermore, it is important to celebrate it too! So, don’t be afraid to indulge and take a bite.
Recognise success. Reflect on success. Reevaluate and then challenge yourself to reach new heights. Success looks different to us all. Whether it is that tingly feeling when we’ve done something well, booming bank account, promotion we’ve been striving for, smile shared with a loved one, or perfect flat white, success is contextual and fluid. Success is a continuous journey and you are the one that dictates how your journey goes.