Driving home today I started to think about what success really means to me; is it money and status, is it personal awareness and happiness or a mixture of all?

Throughout school and university, I was always adamant to be one of the top students, I always hoped to be number one when it came to my grades but that was never the case. I was certainly hard-working and a great student, but I never seemed to reach first place.

What does success mean for YOU?

The more exposure I got of the “real world” the more I began to realize that success can’t be defined by grades or numbers. I had obtained the first class degree I aimed to get, though not with the best grades in the class, I still obtained it. That was only due to my hard work. Had I let this “want” of being first place get the better of me, I would have drowned in my worries and stresses rather than achieve anything at all.  Once I stopped thinking about competing with others and focused on my own personal goal, I achieved it. At the end of the day, graduating first place in class or with a first class honours wasn’t going to make any difference. By defining what success really means to me (and not others), only then could I aim to reach for it.

Everyone is different. Your friend might view success solely through monetary value but for you success could mean development on a personal level. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to not lose sight of what we aim for, no matter what others say. Sometimes the very people in your life can be waiting for your downfall, all they want is to sit back and watch the show!

Is success always superficial?

Having recently graduated and still trying to find my way in the professional world, I’ve come to realize that success doesn’t necessarily have to be defined by strict boundaries of money and status. Success can simply be your ability to get back on the horse again and again and again…

To be able to get back up after multiple blows, remain motivated and confident, is in itself a great accomplishment. J.K. Rowling, the author of the famous Harry Potter series was rejected about 12 times before her book was accepted by a publisher… 12 times!!

Success is subjective. For example, being the best in your chosen field may not necessarily make you FEEL successful.For me, true success entails elements of status, wealth, personal development and happiness.  The biggest success of all however, is the ability to stay motivated and keep aiming to reach YOUR goals. Through it all, confidence and positivity is key.

So what does success really mean for YOU?