Defining Success

Can you define success? Such a word is relative to all who seek it. We think we know what success looks like for others, but when it comes to defining it ourselves, we're lost.

I like using the "reverse engineering" strategy for setting goals and reaching them. For example, to become a better writer, I have to write--thus this post. But if you have trouble imagining your ideal future, this method is totally useless.

Keep in mind that one person's opinion of what success looks like is not applicable to all. What we see in movies or magazines would actually be irrational to most.

You don't have to set the bar low to be "successful", you just need to set the bar where no one has dared to put it before. Low, high, wherever it is should be unique to you. You're already the best "you" that you can be--because you can't live in the past, and the future has yet to unfold itself.

"Success" is like a mirage, constantly changing in appearance and realness. If you follow other people's mirages, you'll be thirsty. But if you seek your own definition and walk persistently, you'll find an oasis--coconuts, palm trees, and all.