How Do You Define Success?

My global definition of success is:

1. Providing lawful and ethical services that satisfy clients

2. Doing task work that leads to job satisfaction

3.Enabling my family to enjoy the lifestyle we desire

4. Managing my time so that I can have a high level of life satisfaction since I have many interests

Your question is very thought-provoking Donna.

Grats on the feature - success is different for everyone - I'm getting to the age where success is getting out of bed everyday and having a great day LOL

Wow, 2 success posts featured - yes, it is different for everyone as we all have a different mearuring stick ;)

Donna,  I used to agree with your quote:

"Success does not lie in 'results' but in 'efforts'. 'Being' the best is not so important, 'doing' the bet is all that matters."

But I've tried that with my wife when I came in second on a few listing appointments.  Being second didn't pay the bills.  She really doesn't want to hear how much I tried.  She can't pay the mortgage with that.

My son and I watched "Talladega Nights" and the words of Ricky Bobby kind of stuck with me.

"If you're not first, you're last"

Sellers aren't happy when their home is the second choice for buyers.  They get absolutely nothing for being second best.

Sure, coming in second provides experience to learn and improve, but winning is the only thing that puts food on the table.

Doing the Right thing...every time..

I define success by measuring who I am today, versus who I was yesterday; am I in a better place? am I providing better opportunities for those around me: my family, my team, myself?
Success to me is growth & change: success to me is waking up happy most days, the feeling of utter contentment for the life I have yet a yearning for the life I still have goals set to achieve.
For me it's living the good life, We say the "good life", not the "great life",because life isn't always great but life is always good. people die, people disappoint us, life throws us curveballs, but when I wake up in the morning married to the bride I have with the sun that I have living the life I live I can't help but feel successful.

I have learned to balance my life so I can enjoy it.

Its different for diffrent people!!!

"Success is ot the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love wha tyou are doing, you will be successful." -Albert Schweitzer

"Success does not lie in 'results' but in 'efforts'. 'Being' the best is not so important, 'doing' the bet is all that matters." Unknown

Mine is simple: healthy, successful children...that's it. 

The way people handle this question is fascinating.   Not that this comes up often, but folks seem to define success for themselves in terms very different than for others.  

Almost everyone at one time has said something like "Bob is very successful,"  and it's usually a reference to financial success, despite defining success differently for themselves.

Human nature is an intriguing thing.  ;-)

Successes are small to big and everything in between. Each day we can have successes taht bring us forward adn make us feel accomplished.

Hi Donna,

Good post. Success for me differs on different days. It could be shooting under 80 on the golf course, finding that perfect house for my clients, most of all having great relationships with my family, friends and clients.

Yes it is a question that can be summed up in a quote, or not adequately addressed in a large book.

Seems that the definition can change from day to day as well.

It could be simply getting up the next day and giving it another try.

Donna Foerster - that was a great question and very interesting answers, too.

Thanks for summing it up here...

Success is different every day, and often different from one part of the day to another. This morning, I'm feeling pretty successful having gone for a nice long walk and managed to get a little work done too 

Donna

A great respond to your post.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Congratulations on your feature recognition. Our perspective of success by changed by the conditions of the moment.

Mary Yonkers hit it on the head.  It's not a final destination.  And, everyone measure success differently.  I guess it's a relative term. 

Donna to me success is a being happy at a profound level! And that is a day by day, moment to moment choice.