What is Success?

What is success to you? Have you defined it? Can it really happen overnight? Sometimes it seems like it can. When we look at others, we can make the judgment that they are super-successful, got there quickly and got all the breaks, but that’s usually not the case. Though the media can paint a picture far from reality that it can.

Part of success is defining what success means to you and then realizing when you arrive at what you’ve defined. Part of your definition of success is also dependent on a number of factors that takes a sense of self-awareness. Dolly Parton knew she was different than the thousands of other songwriters when she wrote I Will Always Love You in 1974. Elvis Presley wanted to record it, but when his manager asked her to sign over half her publishing rights, she refused. This was not easy for her—this was Elvis! She cried all night. But it was one of the smartest decisions she ever made.

Parton had enough self-awareness as an already-successful songwriter to hang on to all her intellectual rights as she felt I Will Always Love You was a hit. She was right. Whitney Houston made the song one of the biggest recordings of all time in 1992’s The Bodyguard. Dolly kept all her royalties as publisher and writer. If anyone questions Parton’s success, look at Dollywood.

In defining your meaning of what is success, we will look at several areas that will hopefully help you. First, define your self-awareness, then your personal and professional core values and finally, evaluate where you are and where you want to be.

Step One for What is Success: Self-Awareness

There are few Dolly Parton creatives in the world, though there are many who aspire to be like her. There is nothing wrong with that aspiration and actually it’s admirable. It is healthy to look at the journey of others and to not only admire but learn from them. But it is also important to have an honest heart-to-heart talk with yourself to honestly evaluate what your strengths are and what you are actually capable of accomplishing.

There are many wannabees that have made sacrifices but not achieved the success they hoped to attain, especially in the arts but also other fields of business. In 2021, 5.1 million new small business applications were filed, surpassing 2020’s record 4.4 million. Statistics tell us, according to Fortunly, only 78% of small businesses survive their first year and the greatest challenge is the lack of capital. However, the most common reason they fail is that the market has no need for their product or service.

This is really where self-awareness come into play. At some point we all need to evaluate carefully what is working and what is not. I heartedly agree with Winston Churchill’s statement of Never, never, never give up! However, this quote doesn’t mean you can’t shave off and drop what is clearly not working. It is a good exercise to consistently evaluate your personal strengths and what is and is not working in your life and your business.

It is a good exercise to evaluate small goals and affirm each success, no matter how small. (See Tiny Habits) For your goals, take time to define success according to your personal resources, then your professional resources. You can separate this in evaluating your time, stability, leisure, finances and even significance. You can define as many areas to evaluate as you wish but keep them simple and easy to rate. Each of those areas should have some sort of measurable goal. Such as the ability to take off at least a half or full day a week for a project or event.

For leisure, success could be to schedule trips on your bucket-list, even if you aren’t close to bucket-list age! Leisure is also closely linked with freedom of time and space. Finances are fairly self-explanatory, but how much is really enough? It’s a good exercise to name a monetary number of what you need monthly, especially as an entrepreneur. Increased success could mean the ability to give more and that can easy be measured. A good article about having enough is here: When is Enough Enough?

Many who are at mid-career or the halftime of life start thinking more about significance. What will you leave behind and how can you really make a difference? (See Making a Difference) You don’t have to start working with a non-profit to make a difference. You can make a difference in a friend or colleague’s life with a note of encouragement. Take time to write your ideas down. It will affirm your success.

What Success Really Takes

Success takes action. It also takes perseverance. Berry Gordy, Motown Records founder and owner, wasn’t impressed at first with Stevie Wonder. At eleven years old, Stevie was blind yet could play many instruments well. Gordy wondered, How am I going to tell this kid I don’t like him? But then Stevie played the harmonica and that got him signed. The rest is history as Stevie is one of the world’s best-selling musicians.

Bruno Mars, singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer, was dropped by his record label at nineteen and he was an unemployed DJ who struggled to fill his car with gas. He almost gave up, but then received thirteen Grammy nominations within ten years. He didn’t quit.

It’s a great exercise to define what success means to you, otherwise you may never feel you got there. Celebrate the small successes, as small successes add up to large successes. And always remember how important relationships are. They are a gift and with valued relationships, you should feel very successful!

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