I’ve been thinking about the meaning of success. It is a concept that each person defines in a very unique way. I’d say it’s also the result of being convinced that you’re in the right place and doing what you really like.
Success is so personal, so I want to share what it means to me.
I used to defined it as getting promoted at work. The only way of making success tangible was by getting recognition from managers, whom would notice my talents. Then, they would assign me more responsibilities and pay me more. Hopefully.
It’s been almost nine years since I got my bachelor’s degree. I’ve worked at six different companies in areas that interested me, and I’ve gotten zero promotions. It’s not that I wasn’t working hard enough towards my goal. I simply came to a realization: my roles at those companies never satisfied me intellectually.
I constantly asked myself “what am I doing here?” “Why am I doing this if I’m not enjoying it?” “Why is it that I’d like to be doing something different?”
It took me six jobs in five years to understand I needed to open my eyes. It took me all that time to conclude that success means creating with my own imagination. It’s being able to do things I like. It’s deciding the direction of my creations.
At this point of my life, I’m getting ready to pursue my own goals. I am considering these guidelines:
Enjoying what I do. I love blogging, writing and designing. I’m happy whenever I’m doing anything related to those activities. In the past, I made a lot of lists on things that interested me to find out what I should be doing with my life. Those three were always in my notes.
Having a sense of independence. It’s up to me to learn something new or polish my skills. I don’t have to wait for anyone to encourage me to do it.
Learning from mistakes. Success does not exist without failure. I need to learn from my own process and find out how I can do better. The more I get involved in my projects, the more experience I will get.
Being able to share my work. There comes a time when it’s necessary to forget about insecurities. No matter how “good” or “bad” my work is. It’s a win to put it out there and document progress in a blog, a website, portfolio, etc.
At the same time, sharing personal things is liberating. Anne Frank says it better.
I want to write, but more than that, I want to bring out all kinds of things that lie buried deep in my heart.
ANNE FRANK#amwriting #writing #writinglife pic.twitter.com/w5eov0kXaI— Jon Winokur (@AdviceToWriters) January 28, 2019
Putting money last. Generating income is a fair goal. In my specific case, I’ve decided not to stress about how much my work is selling. I’m more focused on improving the quality of my writing and being genuine. Money is not leading my initiatives.
How do you define success?
You sound a lot like me.
I was always frustrated with work. It was a job but not a life and I thought work was suppose to be your life. Once I realized that creativity was my true calling I calmed down and became much better at things.
Sometimes we need to find that one special thing and when we do everything else falls in to place.
Those turning points certainly change everything. It’s such a great feeling to discover the kind of work that really fulfills us.
Experiencing frustration is part of the process, too. In the end, we find our way 🙂