Defining Success In Your Career

Finding Your Definition of Success

Success means different things to different people. It could range from money, status, recognition, creativity, autonomy, security, freedom, or any combination of these; whatever your definition is, it’s important that it is yours, and not someone else’s.

As a career counselor, I have heard countless times from clients, “I make lots of money and have status, but I feel empty”. If you don’t feel successful, perhaps it’s because you’ve been trying to live your life by other peoples’ standards.

Here are a few questions to ask that may help you define what success means to you:

  • How important are other people’s opinions in my career decisions?
  • What role did family and peer pressure play in my career decisions?
  • Who (in my world) looks like a success to me?
  • How would I define success to a young child?
  • Am I happy with my life, my career and my role in the world?

These are tough questions to answer, but the answers are crucially important. The answers will lead you to making better choices as you come to understand and live out your own true values.

If you would like guidance in clarifying your success issues to find a career that fulfills your own definition of success, I would be happy to guide you through that process.