How Do You Define Success?

Most people define success the way many power people define it because that’s the definition most of society measures by. Your definition of success shouldn’t be determined by what people in power say it should be, but rather it should be defined by the person you are and what you value most. You might just find you are more successful than you thought.

All humans have the same five basic needs of Safety & Security, Connection, Significance, Freedom and Joy. However, they are configured differently in each of us, creating your own need-strength profile. How much of each need you require is based on two things: the genetic size of each of your needs, which remains relatively fixed throughout your life and your ability to meet those needs based on the circumstances of your life.

Should you have high needs that are unmet, you will feel that deficit painfully, and focus on ways to meet those needs. When your highest needs are satisfied, you will find yourself concentrating on the lesser important, unsatisfied needs. What feels most important to you at any given time has to do with how important that need is for you and how well-met it is.

When defining success, a large portion of the world has adopted the success definition of people with a high need for significance. These are people who want to make a difference, be in control and lead others. Their level of success if typically defined by the size of their bank accounts and assets, their notoriety and their level of recognition as an expert at what they do. When people without a high need for significance measure their success, they often feel lacking if they haven’t met those markers.

But should those goalposts define everyone’s level of success? I say no. Let’s look at each need individually. Read More