We constantly measure success. It’s a subconsious and automatic process, to
The metrics of success which we choose lead to long-term, real-life consequences, and they determine everything.1
But wait, what exactly are we trying to measure? How do we define success?
From those things, and one other perhaps, I coined my own definition of success, which is: Peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you’re capable. I believe that’s true. If you make the effort to do the best of which you’re capable, trying to improve the situation that exists for you, I think that’s success, and I don’t think others can judge that; it’s like character and reputation - your reputation is what you’re perceived to be; your character is what you really are.2
There’s a common practice - I’m sure you’re all familiar with it - is to compare yourself to other people, and use that as a measure of success.
I’m not famous, but I improve people’s lives. To me, that makes me successful. And sometimes I even struggle to keep that in mind. You may be single and alone right now, but you can also be happy and proud of yourself. That makes you successful. We must take care in choosing the way in which we measure success because the metrics we choose will determine all of our actions and beliefs. And often these metrics are based on our values.1
Footnotes
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https://markmanson.net/measure-your-life + How Do You Measure Your Life? + Comparing yourself to others is an innate part of our nature and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. What we can change is the basis of that comparison. ↩ ↩2
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https://www.ted.com/talks/john_wooden_the_difference_between_winning_and_succeeding + John Wooden: The difference between winning and succeeding | TED Talk + With profound simplicity, Coach John Wooden redefines success and urges us all to pursue the best in ourselves. In this inspiring talk he shares the advice he gave his players at UCLA, quotes poetry and remembers his father’s wisdom. ↩