How do you define Success?

Julia · 2 August 2006

I caught a promo for an ABC Radio programme this evening asking listeners for their definition of being successful, and thought it would be interesting to know what ASF members regard as their criteria for personal success.

e.g. is it making a certain amount of money?

is it having a comfortable sense of self esteem and confidence?

is it being in a mutually supportive relationship?

is it a sense of achievement, possibly having reached a level of financial independence after originally having nothing?

Or is it something else entirely?

Julia

kerosam · 2 August 2006

hello julia,

to me, success is the complete satisfaction of completing a task/project... example, could be a personal challenge (be it mentally or physically). so, success for me can be intangible and doesn't end till i kick the bucket! :

a bit generic, i suppose.

Realist · 3 August 2006

Success is when the Jones' are trying to keep up with you.

professor_frink · 3 August 2006

Julia said:
I caught a promo for an ABC Radio programme this evening asking listeners for their definition of being successful, and thought it would be interesting to know what ASF members regard as their criteria for personal success.

e.g. is it making a certain amount of money?

is it having a comfortable sense of self esteem and confidence?

is it being in a mutually supportive relationship?

is it a sense of achievement, possibly having reached a level of financial independence after originally having nothing?

Or is it something else entirely?

Julia

Interesting question Julia. My criteria for being successful(in no particular order)-
Family, friends, work, girlfriend, lifestyle.

I have a great family that I get on with quite well.
I have an absolutely brilliant girlfriend. For some reason she seems to like me a bit and is willing to put up with me
I love my work.
I have a small circle of friends that I can count on for basically anything.
And lifestyle- I get to play golf a couple of times a week if I want(now all I need to do is start playing it well!).

I'm not an overly materialistic person, so money isn't really an issue for me to consider myself successful. Considering that society seems to measure your success by the "things" you have, I'm probably never going to be considered wildly successful by the general population, but I'm quite comfortable with that. As long as I'm making progress in whatever I'm doing at the time, then I'm happy

Ageo · 3 August 2006

Success to me is when i have acheived a very high regard in the following areas:

* Financial

* Lifestyle

* Developed as a individual

* Family

karmatik · 3 August 2006

Success for me is to achieve the goals I have set in order to lead the lifestyle I desire.

No there yet!

twojacks28 · 3 August 2006

kerosam said:
hello julia,

to me, success is the complete satisfaction of completing a task/project... example, could be a personal challenge (be it mentally or physically). so, success for me can be intangible and doesn't end till i kick the bucket! :

a bit generic, i suppose.

im with you kero

Rafa · 3 August 2006

i'm with the prof!

especially the bit about materilastic...! tho i still got a nice car... just no fancy gadgets et all...

Smurf1976 · 3 August 2006

I define success as achieving whatever it was that I set out to achieve.

Financial security is on the list, but material posessions aren't. That is, I want to be secure financially but that doesn't need to be at a level that buys me a fancy TV and first class travel. An ordinary TV, ordinary car and economy class travel is fine with me, as long as I can comfortably afford it without lying awake worrying about finances.

I have much the same view about relationships. I'm just not into the superficial things like body image etc. It just doesn't matter in the slightest over the long term IMO.

swingstar · 3 August 2006

Following your intuition and dreams. If you have and didn't 'succeed', then you didn't stick at it for long enough.

Bobby · 3 August 2006

On a personal level, as the success gates open I can do WHAT I like doing

Bob.

YELNATS · 3 August 2006

professor_frink said:
Interesting question Julia. My criteria for being successful(in no particular order)-
Family, friends, work, girlfriend, lifestyle.

I have a great family that I get on with quite well.
I have an absolutely brilliant girlfriend. For some reason she seems to like me a bit and is willing to put up with me
I love my work.
I have a small circle of friends that I can count on for basically anything.
And lifestyle- I get to play golf a couple of times a week if I want(now all I need to do is start playing it well!).

I'm not an overly materialistic person, so money isn't really an issue for me to consider myself successful. Considering that society seems to measure your success by the "things" you have, I'm probably never going to be considered wildly successful by the general population, but I'm quite comfortable with that. As long as I'm making progress in whatever I'm doing at the time, then I'm happy

I agree entirely, but would like to squeeze in a mention of the wife as well.
Regards YN.

nizar · 3 August 2006

Prof i thought u were 25 wat are u doing playing golf, get out there are play b'ball or soccer or sumthing !

I always thought as golf for 40/50/60+

And yeh - i kinda agree with what u said

But for me - karmatik summed it up perfectly:

Success for me is to achieve the goals I have set in order to lead the lifestyle I desire.

tech/a · 3 August 2006

Great wife
Great kids
Great mates
Great friends

Financially secure
Flexible life style
Continual challenges and the ability to explore them.
Freedom.

kerosam · 4 August 2006

Re: How do you define Success? for tech/a

tech/a,

welcome back!

professor_frink · 4 August 2006

nizar said:
Prof i thought u were 25 wat are u doing playing golf, get out there are play b'ball or soccer or sumthing !

I always thought as golf for 40/50/60+

And yeh - i kinda agree with what u said

But for me - karmatik summed it up perfectly:

Does playing golf at 25 make me an old man
I used to play both soccer and basketball when I was younger. Haven't played soccer for a couple of years now- wanna get back into it soon-maybe next season. If the ankles can handle it that is.

money tree · 4 August 2006

I think success is a journey, not a destination.

I like the CANI approach:

CONSTANT AND NEVER-ENDING IMPROVEMENT

At the same point every year (which happens to be today) I ask myself:

"so what have you acheived in the last 12 months?"

success for me is answering that question with a long list of personal, financial, physical, educational, emotional & mental acheivements.

I feel pity for those who think "success" means having a flash car & house.

rub92me · 4 August 2006

To use someone elses wise words: "Our business in life is not to succeed, but to continue to fail in good spirits." For me success means the pursuit of happiness for the people you love and having a good time while you're doing it. Not very generation X, Y or N...

Smurf1976 · 4 August 2006

money tree said:
I feel pity for those who think "success" means having a flash car & house.

Strongly agreed there, especially when that "success" is financed with loans so large that the "successful" person lies awake at night worrying what the RBA will do next with interest rates.

Likewise when they spend their days worrying about their relationship etc rather than enjoying it.

If I were to define success in one word it would be "security". And I don't mean the type that's traded on the ASX or is armed.

grumpee boi · 4 August 2006

for me it is about having a great relationship with my wife and two girls. If I can raise two well-adjusted world citizens then I will be very happy. As Kahlil Gibran said, "You are the bows from which as living arrows your children are sent forth"

How do you define Success?

Julia

In Memoriam

kerosam

Realist

Billie Jean is not my lover

professor_frink

Moderator

Ageo

karmatik

twojacks28

Rafa

Smurf1976

swingstar

Bobby

YELNATS

Non illegitimus carborundum

nizar

tech/a

No Ordinary Duck

kerosam

professor_frink

Moderator

money tree

rub92me

Don't look back

Smurf1976

grumpee boi

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