2 answers
Eno
Student
Brunswick, Ohio
2
Questions
Updated
1620 views
What is your definition of success?
Our whole lives are tailored towards becoming successful but everyone's definition of it seems to change from profession to profession and from person to person. As I transition from high school to college I want a deeper understanding as to how to achieve true success in all of my endeavors. #college #lawyer #international-affairs
Login to comment
2 answers
Cecile Ferreboeuf Clayes
Strategy & Business Development, Internet of Things (IoT) and Intelligent Cloud
4
Answers
Updated
Cecile’s Answer
Hi Eno
At the beginning of my career, I would probably have told you that the definition of (professional) success is something like "getting the recognition of my peers, in a good, internationally and high-tech driven organization, where I can learn and grow quickly". This is what I would call the "sprint" version of success.
As I am now half-way of my career, I would tend to see things much more differently, and to have a "marathon" definition of success. I found that it is essentially about 2 things, which are correlated to one another : Success is about finding your inner sense of Meaning and Success is a Holistic play.
First of all, success is more and more for me, about finding a sense of meaning, and about finding the underlying purpose in my actions. Knowing that I work in a company that produces some value for the planet, and being able to understand my impact in this bigger picture, is essential. Although it sounds like its is idealistic, it actually is very pragmatic: if you have to spend 8-10-maybe 12+ hours a day working, hopefully being passionate about what you do, then it means you *need* your inner motivation to be fueled by a deep sense of meaning. It is about meaning, and it is also about values. The ones of your company, the ones of your team, and of course, your values.
In addition, over time, my definition of success has became much more holistic. Today, I believe that the definition of success from a professional standpoint only is pointless, and even, misleading, as success can only be approached as a global equation. The most common example is the trade-off between being a parent and a professional. Almost all parents feel at some point the struggle of managing both conflicting lives, their life as a successful professional and their life as a good mother/father.
In reality , most of us fail to see that being an accomplished professional is not only contributing by "feeding the family", but also truly helps us being better parents - a good professional path will help you grow and develop yourself not only as a professional but as a human being, and this will fuel you being a role model for your kids. On the other hand, being a parent forces you to see things from a totally different perspective, to overcome a ton of constraints, and over time it can significantly help you being a better professional, and a better leader.
The above is only an example, and even if you don't plan to be a parent, there should be some other areas of your life, other then professional, that should "feed" you and help you grow as an adult, emotionally, intellectually, philosophically...etc. I would even say that if you envision putting 100% of your time and energy on being the best professional ever, without a having any significant other development area in your life, then you are on the wrong track. You will probably grow fast the carrier ladder, but will soon reach a sub-optimal and plateau for the rest of your life, or face the dangers of a burn-out.
At last, I envision that next half of my career should to bring me at a point where (i) I am financially independent from a professional activity and (ii) where my career will have evolved to build a natural transition towards philanthropic activities. Not to mention my friends and family, which should remain the center of gravity of my life. As I will reach the end of my life, ultimately, my definition of success would be something like "being surrounded by my loved ones and still actively working to give back to younger generations what I have received when I was young myself".
Take care and wishing you a successful journey through life,
Cecile
At the beginning of my career, I would probably have told you that the definition of (professional) success is something like "getting the recognition of my peers, in a good, internationally and high-tech driven organization, where I can learn and grow quickly". This is what I would call the "sprint" version of success.
As I am now half-way of my career, I would tend to see things much more differently, and to have a "marathon" definition of success. I found that it is essentially about 2 things, which are correlated to one another : Success is about finding your inner sense of Meaning and Success is a Holistic play.
First of all, success is more and more for me, about finding a sense of meaning, and about finding the underlying purpose in my actions. Knowing that I work in a company that produces some value for the planet, and being able to understand my impact in this bigger picture, is essential. Although it sounds like its is idealistic, it actually is very pragmatic: if you have to spend 8-10-maybe 12+ hours a day working, hopefully being passionate about what you do, then it means you *need* your inner motivation to be fueled by a deep sense of meaning. It is about meaning, and it is also about values. The ones of your company, the ones of your team, and of course, your values.
In addition, over time, my definition of success has became much more holistic. Today, I believe that the definition of success from a professional standpoint only is pointless, and even, misleading, as success can only be approached as a global equation. The most common example is the trade-off between being a parent and a professional. Almost all parents feel at some point the struggle of managing both conflicting lives, their life as a successful professional and their life as a good mother/father.
In reality , most of us fail to see that being an accomplished professional is not only contributing by "feeding the family", but also truly helps us being better parents - a good professional path will help you grow and develop yourself not only as a professional but as a human being, and this will fuel you being a role model for your kids. On the other hand, being a parent forces you to see things from a totally different perspective, to overcome a ton of constraints, and over time it can significantly help you being a better professional, and a better leader.
The above is only an example, and even if you don't plan to be a parent, there should be some other areas of your life, other then professional, that should "feed" you and help you grow as an adult, emotionally, intellectually, philosophically...etc. I would even say that if you envision putting 100% of your time and energy on being the best professional ever, without a having any significant other development area in your life, then you are on the wrong track. You will probably grow fast the carrier ladder, but will soon reach a sub-optimal and plateau for the rest of your life, or face the dangers of a burn-out.
At last, I envision that next half of my career should to bring me at a point where (i) I am financially independent from a professional activity and (ii) where my career will have evolved to build a natural transition towards philanthropic activities. Not to mention my friends and family, which should remain the center of gravity of my life. As I will reach the end of my life, ultimately, my definition of success would be something like "being surrounded by my loved ones and still actively working to give back to younger generations what I have received when I was young myself".
Take care and wishing you a successful journey through life,
Cecile
Jenna Zebrowski, JD, MBA
Bilingual JD/MBA with compliance and regulatory experience and real estate (leasing and franchise) expertise
135
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Jenna’s Answer
The best part is that you define your success, and you can change that definition. The best way to be truly successful, you must decide what that would look like for you. Outside influences (money, job title, social standing, etc.) may contribute to your version of success, but those outside factors should not be the only ones. What will make you wake up in the morning and go to bed at night and feel content and whole as a person? It's great that you are looking to examine your own definition of success. Try A LOT of different things, see what you like, and take it from there. Good luck!
I agree with this.
Sonya Bible
