Do you have a definition of success?

What would you have to do in order to consider yourself successful? Is it money, high career goals, relationship(s), offspring, or just happiness?

Should we judge other people based on how successful they are? Do you compare yourself to other people? What if someone doesn't have one of the above things, would society think they are successful? What if they have all of the above things but are overweight or choosing not to work, would you still be interested in being in a relationship with them? If someone has never been in a relationship, can they be successful or happy?

The reason I ask this is that I am trying to figure out where my life should go. I could be a 'poor' landscape/nature photographer and hope to make some money in a few years, but it would be a dream job. I could be an entrepreneur and probably make millions, but it is very hard work and I would have to learn a whole lot about manufacturing, distribution, and accounting. Not only that, but quit a job with good benefits & a stable paycheck and step into the unknown. Or I can continue my current path and know ahead of time what the money/happiness outcome will be (not horrible, yet not great either). I'm not unsuccessful, yet I wouldn't really consider myself a big success right now.

 

This is something that I think about on a regular basis. I used to think of it as money and clout, but really, I think it's simpler than that - at least to me. I think I'll consider myself successful when I meet these criteria:

• I'm have a job that challenges me, excites me, and fulfills that part of my life. Doesn't necessarily have to be high ranking, just fulfilling.
• I have enough money to be comfortable. Nothing extravagant, but be able to pay the bills without worrying, and have a little left over for me, or maybe a small vacation every other year or so.
• A big part to me is being happy. If I can life my life without constantly questioning if I'm happy and what I can change/fix/do to be happier, then I've succeeded

There might be more, but I'm tired and those are the big ones.

 

I think I can be successful in things but that I can never consider myself a success. I always want to be challenged to learn and grow.

 

For me success is being satisfied I your life with job family sexuality. If your not happy with something it's up to you to change it. No one else will.

 

Off the cuff - success is
a ) having a reason to get up in the morning that isn't about basic survival
and
b ) having people that you love and want to succeed - and who feel the same way about you.

The rest is gravy.

 

Ideally, every year would be awesome, I just didn't want to sound selfish.

And additionally, would like to clarify that I am indeed a she, not a he...

 

1) Fight and kill an apex predator in its natural environment. And then eat it.
2) Two chicks at the same time.
3) Select, prepare and consume the perfect steak.
4) Successfully complete an automotive and/or home repair that would have otherwise cost over $1000 to hire someone to complete the same job.
5) Master at least one skill that doesn't involve color coordination, feelings, or golf.

Pick 4.

 

At the same time? I'm really not a multitasker...

In all seriousness, what I love about the majority of the responses is that they boil down to the correct (IMO) answer: success = happiness. If you're leading a sustainable life that makes you happy and doesn't hurt anyone, that is success, as far as I am concerned.

For me, I'd consider myself successful if I could manage to teach just a little bit more, enough so that between what my wife makes and what I made, we could afford everything we need to keep living the life we're living as my son grows up, and maybe pay off the student loan vultures before it's time to put the kid through college.

I'm already 90% of the way there: I'm doing what I want to be doing for a living (just not doing it enough, yet), I am happily married to a wonderful wife who's also a terrific rabbi in her own right (and, fortunately for us, a more marketable rabbi than I am), we have a beautiful son, a great dog, and we're able to be looking at buying a nice house (should we find one) in a nice area. We have fun together, I get to teach what I love to teach, I get to learn almost every day, and I feel lucky all the time.

Would I turn down ten million dollars or someone optioning my unpublished novel for publication? Of course not. But I don't feel like my life will be less if I never achieve those things, or similar stuff.

Whatever makes you happy, that's what you should be doing, as much as you can do it and survive to your minimum requirements of need.

 

Four out of five? Done.

 

4 out of 5

Also could be used as a measure of manliness

 

I try not to think about success too much. It's depressing. Gonna try to raise a smart, happy daughter and see where that takes me.

 

IMHO that is very personal
Each one has their own, no?

 

This is like a conversation with my sister. She brags on her half million dollar house and double 6 figure incomes, I respond by gloating on my annual 30+ ski days and 15000 miles on my motorcycle. We're really on 2 different planets, it seems.