essay defining success

How Do You Define Success?

Meeting personal goals must determine the success of one's life..

Posted July 7, 2021 | Reviewed by Vanessa Lancaster

• While ideals are subjective, a chosen and fulfilling lifestyle with which others may disagree can be considered a success.
• Our particular criteria for success will closely relate to our social, political, educational, and religious values—in a word, our ideology.
• Most writers employ a business model in talking about success—a model that focuses as much on monetary worth as much as anything else.

Can you call yourself a success if the one thing you feel you’ve accomplished in life is marrying and having children? Or if, despite many failures, at least you avoided ending up on the streets? Or even if you did end up living on the street?

In the homeless instance, it’s unlikely you’d regard yourself as successful, particularly if you were reduced to begging others for loose change to purchase a burger—or beer. Still, it’s crucial to ask yourself who reserves final authority to judge the success of your existence?

And when you ponder this question, you’ll probably grasp that we all have our perspective on what makes a person successful. Further, our criteria will closely relate to our social, political, economic, educational, and religious values—or ideology. And inevitably, such ideals are subjective. Moreover, since people’s assessments of success are tied to their ideals, then it’s the unique experience of the person being evaluated whose “verdict” should be given the most weight.

That said, it must be admitted that the bulk of the popular literature on this subject—I’ve yet to find a single scholarly piece dealing with it—focuses almost exclusively on success criteria as derived from a business model. And this model has mostly to do with the number of one’s earnings or one’s accumulated wealth generally.

Seen more in a family context, success has routinely been estimated along the lines of how good a provider the individual has been for their spouse and children. Still, other writers talk about fame (or admiration) as much as fortune, while comparatively few talk about happiness . And if they do, it’s mostly about how material prosperity eventuates in happiness—a position undoubtedly open to debate.

This post, essentially existential in approach, will make the case that meeting one’s personal goals—whether others approve or not—must determine the (subjective) success of one’s life. At least theoretically, even a person who lives on the street, if consciously their overriding motive was to repudiate the conventions of various societal institutions, would have to be regarded as successful if their chosen lifestyle was somehow fulfilling to them.

Questioning Attempts to Clarify a Topic That Resists Definitive Categorizing

Merriam-Webster’s definition of success is relatively typical of how dictionaries characterize it. It’s indicative of just how subjective the concept is, and I’ll use it as an example of the term’s rich—but unresolvable—complexity.

For many, success means reaching a goal, accomplishing a task, or otherwise accomplishing what they set out to do–Essentially, something is a success when the outcome turns out well, is desirable, or is favorable. Beyond that, the definition of success is personal.

Note Merriam-Webster's hedging through twice employing the word “or.” By stating that “many” people see it in 1 of 3 ways, it extends its definition by talking about its possibly “turning out” in 1 of 3 ways. And then (suggesting it can’t really define it any more specifically) ends its description with the caveat above.

Note, too, that although most writers consider the ethical dimensions of success, Merriam-Webster avoids alluding to this facet, no doubt, because defining what’s meant here by “ethical” is also subjective and personal.

One’s moral system, that is, may not accord with others because they hold themselves to different guidelines and principles. And dictionaries lack the prerogative to make moral pronouncements independent of widespread usage.

Questioning Various Assumptions That Try to “Depersonalize” the Concept

One author , for example, asserts that success is achievable “when you try your best in all aspects of everything you do.” And that’s actually a position several writers take. But logically, why should anyone put maximum effort into doing something not exciting or important to them, or that they don’t care about and in no way are required to?

Perfectionism is hardly a coveted trait—it’s mostly a burden—and, too, it lacks any inherent relationship to people’s experiencing themselves as successful.

Writers generally have advanced their own biases about success, revealing a lot more about their values than making the abstraction tangible. Here’s but one example in a piece entitled “19 Definitions of Success You Should Never Ignore” (2021) . I won’t list all the 19 examples offered. Just a few will suffice for what I want to illustrate:

• Success is always doing your best [ the most frequent criterion];
• Success is having a place to call home;
• Success is understanding the difference between need and want;
• Success is believing you can (and this presumably will ensure your success—but I’d add that this position ignores the fact that, realistically, no one can do or be everything they wish);
• Success is learning that you sometimes have to say no; and
• Success is knowing your life is filled with abundance (the author’s idealism again, but try convincing someone living in poverty with seriously addicted, abusive parents).

Those who’ve written about success don’t discuss degrees of success. They see it as either present or absent (as they do failure). That orientation also oversimplifies—or overlooks—all involved in how a particular person feels about their achievements or what they believe constitutes those achievements.

Coming Up With Your Definition of Success

It’s vital to emphasize that their genetics and culture heavily influence a person’s notion of success. Consequently, their self-evaluation may not be truly authentic because it may not have resulted from thoughtful self-reflection or soul-searching.

Here’s an excellent example of a writer’s confessing that what she believed defined success was imbibed from messages implicit in our society:

For most of my life, I had a narrow definition of what success meant. It involved people knowing your name, and having enough money—i.e., lots of money—to buy an endless stream of designer handbags and big cars. It wasn’t a definition I had opted-in to, but [was] fed to me from childhood through films, magazines about celebrities, and our education system. And I swallowed it whole.

But to be true to yourself, vs. simply conforming to societal norms, what’s necessary is to discover what—given your inborn predilections, passions, and gifts—you want your life to center on. And then, evaluating how well you’ve accomplished your priorities will verify how successful you’ve been.

To put this somewhat differently, you could view yourself as successful but, in the eyes of the world, be seen as a dismal failure. And this discrepancy could just as quickly go in the opposite direction. Consider, for example, the many instances of distinguished celebrities’ taking their own life.

Yet as one Quora writer encapsulates it: “Living life on your terms and conditions is the most challenging task in the modern world [since] most people spend their entire life living on the terms and conditions of [others]. In his own (admittedly, somewhat exaggerated) words:

In their childhood, they live as their parents decide. In their schools, they live as their teachers decide. In their home, they live as their spouse decides. In their office, they live as their bosses decide. In their old age, they live as their children decide.

To conclude, despite the “terms and conditions” you may have internalized from your environment. Finally, you alone get to decide how successful you’ve been. And if you feel you haven’t lived up to your specified ideals, you also have the freedom (with or without professional help) to make new lifestyle choices that can transform how you see yourself.

© 2021 Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.

Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D. , is the author of Paradoxical Strategies in Psychotherapy and The Vision of Melville and Conrad . He holds doctorates in English and Psychology. His posts have received over 53 million views.

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Finding Success Starts with Finding Your Purpose

• John Coleman

It’s never too early — or too late — to ask the big questions.

Many people work their whole lives to achieve material success only to find their happiness and sense of purpose wanting when that success comes. They often spend their later years looking for purpose in their lives in order to feel a sense of meaning. Searching for meaning late in your life is a missed opportunity. Success without significance — purpose, service, and meaningful relationships — is not really success at all. It’s important to properly reflect on how you can live a life imbued intensely not just with the superficial trappings of “success” but with deep purpose and joy in all we do — starting now. Ask yourself:  What is the core purpose of my work and the ways in which it makes the world better? Who are the key relationships in my life, and how can I deepen them? What more can I do at work, at home, and in my community to serve others? How am I becoming better each day?

In 1995, Bob Buford wrote the bestselling book Halftime , which popularized the concept of “moving from success to significance” in the second half of life. Buford realized that many businesspeople work their whole lives to achieve material success only to find their happiness and sense of purpose wanting when that success comes. And he rightly encouraged those people to seek out meaning and impact in their later years.

• JC John Coleman is the author of the HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose . Subscribe to his free newsletter, On Purpose , follow him on Twitter @johnwcoleman, or contact him at johnwilliamcoleman.com.

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Introduction

Defining success.

Action is the foundational key to all success. —Pablo Picasso, artist

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Identify specific strategies to achieve college success
• Explain how grades play a role in shaping success
• Describe the value of success, particularly in the first year of college
• Develop a personal definition of success, in college and other areas of life

Personal Responsibility for Success

A college education is aligned with greater success in many areas of life. While enrolled in college, most students are closely focused on making it through the next class or passing the next test. It can be easy to lose sight of the overall role that education plays in life. But sometimes it helps to recall what a truly great step forward you are taking!

It’s also important to recognize, though, that some students do not succeed in college and drop out within the first year. Sometimes this is due to financial problems or a personal or family crisis. But most of the time students drop out because they’re having trouble passing their courses.

In this section, we examine the elements of college success. Are there patterns of success you strive for but aren’t yet reaching? Where might you shore up your support? What strategies can you use to achieve success in your college endeavors?

Defining Success in College

How do you define college success? The definition really depends on you. You might think that “success” is earning an associate’s degree or attending classes in a four-year college. Maybe success is a bachelor’s or master’s degree or a PhD. Maybe success means receiving a certificate of completion or finishing skill-based training.

You might be thinking of other measures of college success, too—like grades. For instance, you might be unhappy with anything less than an A in a course, although maybe this depends on the difficulty of the subject. As long as you pass with a C, you might be perfectly content. But no matter how you define success personally, you probably wouldn’t think it means earning a D or lower grade in a class.

So, if most students believe that passing a class is the minimum requirement for “success,” and if most students want to be successful in their courses, why aren’t more college students consistently successful in the classroom?

Perhaps some common misconceptions are at play. For example, we often hear students say, “I just can’t do it!” or “I’m not good at math,” or “I guess college isn’t for me . . . ,” or “I’m not smart enough.” But these explanations for success or failure aren’t necessarily accurate. Considerable research into college success reveals that having difficulty in or failing in college courses usually has nothing to do with intellect. More often success depends on how fully a student embraces and masters the following seven strategies:

• Learn how to take effective notes in class.
• Review the text and your reading notes prior to class.
• Participate in class discussion and maybe even join a study group.
• Go to office hours and ask your instructor questions.
• Give yourself enough time to research, write, and edit your essays in manageable stages.
• Take advantage of online or on-campus academic support resources.
• Spend sufficient time studying.

So if you feel you are not smart enough for college, ask yourself if you can implement some of these skills. Can you make more time for learning? One approach is to create a regular study schedule and make sure you allot ample time. Most college success experts agree that students should study two hours outside of class for every hour in class. Only break away from your committed schedule if an extreme situation prevents you from sticking to it.

Another strategy to consider implementing is group study. For example, rather than relying just on your own knowledge, notes, and skills, try studying with other students in your difficult classes. Studying in a group gives every group member a chance to ask questions and talk about concepts.

You can also add a tutor to your study group. You will really be able to notice a positive difference. Tutoring is generally free in college, and the strategies and knowledge you gain will be invaluable. Usually tutors have taken the class you are currently enrolled in, and they are trained to get the best out of you.

Overall, students struggle in college not because of natural intellect or smarts, but because of time management, organization, and lack of quality study time. The good news is that there are ways to combat this, specifically by doing things like creating a regular study schedule, studying in groups, and taking advantage of your school’s academic resources, like a tutoring center, instructor office hours, and any available online help.

How Grades Play a Role in Shaping Success

In a recent online discussion at a student-support Web site, a college freshman posted the following concern about how serious he should be about getting good grades:

As a first semester freshman, I really have taken my education seriously. I’ve studied and done my homework nightly and have read all of the assignments. So far, I have all A’s in my classes, including calculus and programming. Now, with a month left to go in the semester, I feel myself slipping a bit on my studies. I blow off readings and homework more to go out at night during the week and I’ve even skipped a few classes to attend major sporting events. I also travel most weekends with a sports team that I joined. Still, I’ve gotten A’s on the exams even with these less extensive study habits, although not as high as before. So, my question really is this. Should I just be content with low A’s and B’s and enjoy myself during college, or should I strive to achieve all A’s?

How would you answer this student’s question, given what what you know and sense about college life? Grades do matter to your success, right? Or . . . do they? The answer depends on who you ask and what your college and career goals are.

To help you answer, take this quick self-assessment about your college goals and beyond. Put a checkmark in the Yes or No column next to items in the “I Want to Be Able to . . .” column.

You may be surprised to learn that each reason on this list directly relates to your grades—even changing your major. For example, colleges typically have a minimum GPA requirement to switch majors. Consider these additional factors:

• Undergraduate grades have been shown to have a positive impact on getting full-time employment in your career in a position appropriate to your degree.
• Grades also have been shown to have a positive net impact on your occupational status and earnings.
• Getting good grades, particularly in the first year of college, is important to your academic success throughout your college years.
• Grades are probably the best predictors of your persistence, your ability to graduate, and your prospects for enrolling in graduate school.

You stand to gain immeasurably when you get good grades.

Your Grade-Point Average (GPA)

Grades may not be the be-all and end-all in college life. But to the degree that you believe they can help you achieve your greatest goals, you will pay close attention to them and to your GPA.

Your GPA is a calculated average of the letter grades you earn correlated on a 0 to 4.0 or 5.0 scale. Each semester you receive a GPA based on the grades you earned in all of your classes during that semester. You also maintain a cumulative GPA—an ongoing average of all your semester grades beginning with freshman year.

Many institutions provide students with an online GPA calculator . Use the calculator to keep track of where you stand. Your college may also publish data on the average GPA of your fellow students. Sometimes it’s nice to know where you stand relative to your peers.

Words of Wisdom

It is important to know that college success is a responsibility shared with your institution. Above all, your college must provide you with stimulating classroom experiences that encourage you to devote more time and effort to your learning. Additional institutional factors in your success include the following:

• High standards and expectations for your performance
• Assessment and timely feedback
• Peer support
• Encouragement and support for you to explore human differences
• Emphasis on your first college year
• Respect for diverse ways of knowing
• Integrating prior learning and experience
• Academic support programs tailored to your needs
• Ongoing application of learned skills
• Active learning
• Out-of-class contact with faculty [1]

Ideally, you and your college collaborate to create success in every way possible. The cooperative nature of college life is echoed in the following practical advice from a college graduate, recounted in Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom :

Professors do care about how you are doing in their class; they genuinely want you to succeed, but they will give you the grade you earn. There are people and resources on campus for you to utilize so you can earn the grade you want. Your professors are one of those resources, and are perhaps the most important. Go see them during office hours, ask them questions about the material and get extra help if you need it . . . Another resource to utilize can be found in the campus learning center . . . The first time I took a paper there, I recall standing outside the door for about ten minutes thinking of an excuse not to go in. Thankfully I saw a classmate walk in and I followed suit . . . Thanks to that first visit, I received an A- on the paper!

Ensuring Success in Your First Year

Why is the first year of college so important? So much happens that year! Shouldn’t there be a grace period for the newest students to get acclimated to college before the pressure sets in?

The fact is that the first year of college is the most crucial time in your college life. So much is happening, but it serves to establish your trajectory to success. Consider the following typical first-year experiences, all of which strategically support students during this critical make-or-break period.

Orientation

Most first-year students attend an orientation program, which typically leads to the following results:

• Students participate in more educationally enriching activities
• Students perceive the campus environment to be more supportive
• Students have greater developmental gains during their first year of college
• Students are more satisfied with their overall college experience

First-Year Seminars

First-year seminars may be of the “orientation to college” variety; others may be based on your curriculum. Students who participate in these seminars tend to

• Be more challenged academically
• Be more active and collaborative in learning activities
• Interact more frequently with faculty
• Think of the campus environment as being more supportive
• Gain more from their first year of college
• Make greater use of campus services

The quality of academic advising is the single most powerful predictor of your satisfaction with the campus environment. First-year students who rate their advising as good or excellent

• Are more likely to interact with faculty in various ways
• Perceive the institution’s environment to be more supportive
• Are more satisfied with their overall college experience
• Gain more from college in most areas

Early Warning Systems

Early warning systems are especially important for students who start college with risk factors or who may be struggling academically. Midterm progress reports, course tests and other assessments, and early alert systems are most effective at helping students cope with difficulties in the first year.

Learning Communities

Learning communities are programs that enroll groups of students in a common set of courses. The effects of learning communities are greatest for first-year students. Students report gains in personal and social development, competence, and satisfaction with the undergraduate college experience.

Student Success Initiatives

Student success courses typically address issues like how to use campus support resources, manage time, study well, develop careers and skills, set goals, take tests, and take notes. The College Success course you are in right now is such an initiative.

Remediation

About one-third of first-year students take developmental courses to bring their academic skills up to a level that will enable them to perform well in college. Developmental courses can make the difference in a student’s decision to stay in college or drop out.

Grades and Your First-Year Success

• Your freshman year accounts for a significant portion of grades that can be used in getting an internship.
• Your freshman year can account for a significant portion of grades that matter to starting your career.
• Top companies can have early recruitment programs that begin identifying prospective students and looking at grades as early as your sophomore year.
• Many top clubs and major-specific honoraries on campus look at your grades in the screening process.
• When you get good grades as a freshman, you tend to keep getting good grades as a sophomore, junior, and senior.
• Instructors tend to give the benefit of the doubt to students who get good grades.

The best advice is to commit to making your freshman year count. Make it the absolute best. The earlier you can establish good habits during this time, the easier your future years will be—not just in college, but in your work environment, at home, and beyond.

Tips for First-Year Students Embarking on Academic Success

The following is a list of tips from a college educator for college students embarking on their journey to academic success:

• Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable!
• Get the book(s) and read the book(s).
• Take notes in class and when reading for class.
• Know your professors (email, office location, office hours, etc.) and be familiar with what is in the course syllabus.
• Put away your phone during class.
• Emails need a salutation, a body, and a close.
• Don’t write the way you might text—using abbreviations and clipped sentences.
• Never academically advise yourself!
• Apply for scholarships—all of them!
• Speak it into existence and keep your eyes on the prize.
• Enjoy the ride! Cheers!

Activity: Develop Your Personal Definition of Success

For this activity, create your own definition of success. Dictionary.com defines success as “the favorable outcome of something attempted.” For many students in college, success means passing a class, earning an A, or learning something new. Beyond college, some people define success in terms of financial wealth; others measure it by the quality of their relationships with family and friends.

Here is an example of a brief, philosophical definition of success:

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. –Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ultimately, before we can know if we are successful, we must first define what success means for ourselves.

• Develop a 750-word essay defining what success means to you in college and beyond. To help you develop this essay, you might want to consider the following:
• Find a quote (or make one up) that best summarizes your definition of success (be sure to cite the author and the source, such as the URL).
• Why does this quote best represent your personal definition success?
• What people do you consider to be successful and why?
• What is your definition of success?
• What will you do to achieve success?
• What is the biggest change you need to make in order to be successful in college?
• How will you know you’ve achieved success?

Success and Pride

Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so. –David Brooks, columnist and political commentator

If the prospect of committing to the path of higher education still feels daunting, you might find inspiration in thinking about the many potential gains you can experience. Talk with friends, family members, and others who have been to college and to people who have succeeded—in whatever ways they define success. Listen for clues about what they feel worked and what didn’t and what they would change. Do you hear threads of topics broached so far in this course?

College success is an attainable goal, so be encouraged that you are on a path of great potential. Below is the success story of a college graduate. Might your story be similar to this one someday?

Something Was Different

I have earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree and I have nearly twenty years of teaching experience. Would you ever guess that I contemplated not going to college at all? I originally thought about going to beauty school and becoming a cosmetologist. It was to me, honestly the easy way out since I was sick of all the drama after high school. The thought of college seemed overwhelming. Why did I really need to have a college degree when all I ever wanted was to get married and be a stay-at-home mom? My friends weren’t going to college either, so I often wondered if going would complicate our friendship.

I decided to go anyway, and it did separate us a bit. While I was writing a ten-page paper for my summer class in Genetics and Heredity, my friends were swimming in my pool. They also had the chance to buy new cars and new clothes and to go on vacations. I just went to school, driving my used Nissan Sentra, without much more than gas money and a few extra bucks. Again, why was I doing this? It would have been easier to just do what my friends were doing.

Little by little, semesters went by and I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Education. I started substitute teaching immediately and within six months I was offered a full-time job. Just like that, I had more money and all kinds of new opportunities and I could now consider a new car or going on vacation just like my friends. At that point, I decided to continue my education and get my master’s degree. Yes, it was a lot of hard work again, and yes, my friends wondered why I wanted to go back again, but I knew then that this was the best choice for me. The challenge wasn’t knowing where I wanted my career to go, but rather overcoming the pull to settle into a lifestyle or career because it was easy, not because it was what I wanted.

By the time I graduated with my master’s degree I realized that something was different. For all the years that I felt behind or unable to keep up with what my friends had, I was suddenly leaps and bounds ahead of them career-wise. I now had two degrees, a full-time teaching job, and a plan to keep my career moving forward. I was able to do all of the things that they had done all those years and more. None of them had careers, just jobs. None of them had long-term plans. None of them were as satisfied with their choices any longer and a few of them even mentioned that they were jealous of my opportunity to attend college.

Don’t be fooled. Being a college student is a lot of work and, like me, most students have questioned what they are doing and why they are doing it. However, the rewards certainly outweigh all of the obstacles. I used to hear, “Attending college will make you a well-rounded person” or “It sets you apart from those that do not attend,” yet it never felt true at the time. Eventually though, you will come to a point where you realize those quotes are true and you will be on your way to earning that degree!”

—Jacqueline Tiermini,  Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom

• What Matters to Student Success: A Review of the Literature; National Postsecondary Education Cooperative ↵
• College Success. Authored by : Linda Bruce. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Biofuel lab PSU-100. Provided by : Penn State. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/pennstatelive/8677654327/ . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Choices and Personal Responsibilities for Success. Authored by : Ronda Dorsey Neugebauer and Zack Varpness. Provided by : Chadron State College. Located at : https://courses.candelalearning.com/collegesuccess2/chapter/introduction-to-choices-and-personal-responsibility-for-success/ . Project : Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Instructional Support: Options and Resources. Provided by : California Community Colleges Online Education Initiative. Located at : https://apps.3cmediasolutions.org/oei/11-Instructional-Support/story.html . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Foundations of College Success: Words of Wisdom. Authored by : Thomas C. Priester, editor. Provided by : Open SUNY Textbooks. Located at : http://textbooks.opensuny.org/foundations-of-academic-success/ . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• How to Start a Movement. Authored by : Derek Sivers. Provided by : TED. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V74AxCqOTvg . Project : TEDTalks. License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Why Good Grades Matter. Provided by : Graduate Accumulate. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zjQ_7sgGfE . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Why Good Grades Matter. Authored by : Graduate Accumulate. Located at : https://youtu.be/8zjQ_7sgGfE . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License

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Redefining Success: Adopt the Journey Mindset to Move Forward

To sustain the behaviors that helped you reach a goal, think about the achievement as a journey rather than a destination.

August 30, 2019

How do you define success — by accomplishing a goal, or by embracing and sustaining the behaviors that enabled you to do so? | Illustration by Sara Wong

After we’ve worked hard to meet a goal — whether it’s losing 20 pounds through a fitness and diet regimen or upping our game at work to meet ambitious sales targets — there’s an innate human tendency to pat ourselves on the back and then slack off on the behavioral changes that led to our success.

Sometimes, this urge to ease up on effort can be a positive thing, argues Szu-chi Huang , an associate professor of marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business, whose research focuses on motivation. “It potentially is functional,” she says, “because a lot of the time, disengagement from an achieved goal helps you to focus on other goals.”

However, for endeavors where the real challenge is not only achieving results, but also sustaining them in the future, slacking is detrimental. “For weight control, relaxing the effort is completely dysfunctional, because people gain the weight back,” Huang says. “When they forget what they learned, it’s as if their success didn’t even happen.”

That led Huang and her coauthor, Jennifer Aaker , the General Atlantic Professor at Stanford GSB, to ponder what would help people to retain the lessons they learned while achieving a goal and to continue to put those lessons to use moving forward.

“This question is critical because it helps us to redefine success — by moving us from focusing on the short-run win associated with attaining a goal to the longer-term benefits associated with continued improvement after the goal has been achieved,” says Aaker.

As it turns out, the secret to maintaining hard-earned achievements may be to change how we think about them, Huang and Aaker explain. Instead of focusing only on the goal that’s been attained, we should reflect on the steps it took to achieve it — and to think metaphorically about the entire effort as a journey rather than a destination reached.

The Experiments

In a new paper published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Huang and Aaker put their hypothesis around the “journey mindset” to the test, by conducting six experiments involving more than 1,600 subjects participating in activities ranging from dieting and fitness to executive training courses. Across each study, they found that thinking of an achieved goal as a journey led to a greater likelihood of subjects continuing the behaviors that enabled them to attain their goal.

Quote Seeing the change you’ve made in the past fuels positive behaviors moving forward. Attribution Jennifer Aaker

In one study, adults who recently had reached a significant fitness goal were asked to describe their experience of attaining it. Some were asked to reflect on their achieved goal as a journey, while others were prompted to liken it to a destination, and a third group was given no reflection exercise. Later, the participants were asked to choose between access to a free online home fitness program or to a free comedy program. Those who had described their success as a journey were much more likely to pick the fitness program, which would help them maintain their health moving forward.

Similarly, subjects who were successful on a calorie-tracking diet program reported that they felt greater personal growth and were more likely to continue their diet regimen after being asked to reflect back on their goal success using a journey metaphor, as compared with those who were instructed to reflect on goal success as a destination or those who were not prompted with any metaphor.

The researchers also designed a 14-day walking program and had volunteers download a Pacer mobile app used to track steps taken to reach their walking goals. The participants stated their walking goal, tracked how far they walked, and then, after reaching their walking goal, were given the opportunity to continue tracking their steps for three more days. The exercisers who were guided to think about completing the program as a journey walked close to 5,500 more steps during the three additional days than did those using a destination metaphor. That’s a 55% increase in steps.

In a final study, the researchers recruited a group of business executives who successfully completed a Stanford Seed executive education program in Ghana. The graduates went through a 30-minute exit interview in which they were guided by the interviewer to contemplate and discuss the learning experience using either the journey metaphor, the destination metaphor, or no metaphor at all. Six months later, the executives answered a follow-up survey involving specific operational practices they had put in place after graduating. Those who had been guided to think of the program as a journey were more likely to report that they had put their learning into practice — such as adopting accounting practices preferred by top-tier investors or improving supply chains to help their companies scale.

Long-Term Success

“Adopting the journey mindset helped them apply what they had learned in the program, increasing the likelihood of putting their learning to work and facilitating longer-term success,” Aaker explains. “This finding is important particularly because implementation is often challenging.”

The findings suggest that the journey metaphor helped people think more about the actions they took during the journey — where they started and the ups and downs along the way, which leads to a feeling of personal growth and learning from both the wins and the losses. “In contrast,” Huang says, “the destination metaphor did not build such connections, and focused people instead on the present success and value of achievement.”

As Aaker puts it, “Seeing the change you’ve made in the past fuels positive behaviors moving forward.”

But this doesn’t mean that the destination mindset is without value — it can be beneficial during the actual pursuit of a goal. “When you’re working through something, thinking about destination can help you sharpen focus and work harder,” Huang explains. “But after you accomplish the goal and feel successful, you need to shift mindsets and take a moment to think about what you’ve learned along the journey.”

Envisioning success as a journey might seem like an intuitive concept, but it doesn’t come naturally, the researchers explain. “When not prompted, people tend to think about their success as a destination reached, which leads to disengagement and relaxation,” Huang says. That means the switch to journey-style thinking may require a deliberate process, involving techniques that involve reflection and growth mindset.

Learning from Wins and Losses

“One way to achieve that is going through a reflection or post-mortem activity after one has achieved a goal, such as completing a corporate training course,” Huang suggests.

“But it can even be done on an annual, weekly, or daily basis,” Aaker adds. “Reflect back on the last year — what were the wins or high points, what were the losses or setbacks, and what did you learn from each? Look at how professional athletes improve by watching playbacks, learning from both their high points and mistakes so they can be more effective moving forward. Similarly, it can be beneficial for us to take notes, photos, or clips marking milestones on the path toward a goal, so we can more easily look back once the goal is achieved.”

But even if you don’t have a current success to reflect upon, Huang says you can use the journey metaphor to get more value from your past experiences. “Close your eyes and think about the last success you had, something you’re really happy about or proud of, something you hope would reoccur,” she says. “Start thinking through what you did right and wrong, what you learned, and where you are today. By bringing it back to the front of your mind and rethinking the process, you may see a path to your next success.”

Aaker concludes: “These studies are important because they shed light on fundamental questions, like what is success and how do we achieve it? Most assume success is about what you’ve accomplished — the recognition, status, or money — and is associated with the fleeting feeling of happiness you experience once you achieve a goal or destination. However, another metric of success is based on the behaviors you sustain once you achieve the goal — the goal-supporting activities that enable you to maintain or even advance your accomplishments, allowing you to make progress in important domains of your life. In this light, a better metric of success is how much you feel you have grown, learned, and your ability to change your habits moving forward. And adopting a journey mindset helps foster that type of success.”

For media inquiries, visit the Newsroom .

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It’s the Journey, Not the Destination: How Metaphor Drives Growth After Goal Attainment Szu-chi Huang Jennifer Aaker

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Definition Essay: Success

The American Dream is a large house, a speedy car, and financial freedom. For some, it includes a boat, a RV, and a cottage by the lake. However, another definition of success doesn’t list any of these. Success does not have anything to do with material goods but is rather tied to broader concepts.

One measure of success is how happy a person is. For some people, they might feel their happiest when they have luxurious items. However, this is not universally true and is consequently not a true measure of success. Happiness for most people is a happy and loving family. If this is someone’s definition of success, then their family is what defines their success. For some, this success might mean trying new things and a lifestyle that supports it. Success is tied in with happiness because they are both highly subjective.

Health can also be considered a defining factor in success. People feel unsuccessful if they, or someone they love, are not healthy. For instance, can father feel successful if his child is ill? This is why doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and hospitals are so important. Not only do they allow people to live longer, but they also allow people to feel successful in their life.

Finally, success can mean overcoming hardships. No one likes hard and rough times with tears and pain. Someone who has come through the pain often feels like he or she has accomplished something. An individual that has overcome an obstacle achieves a measure of success. As David Brinkley has stated, a man can be proud if he has laid “a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” The most valuable lessons can come from failures. Like Dale Carnegie said, “Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” And who could understand the meaning of success if they did not experience disappointment? Light would not exist without darkness and success would not be truly achieved without failure. But we all hope that this failure is only temporary.

People want to achieve success and make plans to reach it. However, with a narrow interpretation of success, many people have no chance of finding it. They will continue to find themselves going the wrong way, missing out on opportunities, and happy moments along the way.

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What Is Success?

• Posted September 5, 2014
• By Mark Russell

A large majority of youth appear to prioritize aspects of success — achievement and happiness — above caring for others.

This is one highlight of a report released in June by the Ed School’s Making Caring Common Project ( @MCCHarvardEd ) . The report is based chiefly on a survey of nearly 10,000 diverse middle and high school students that the project conducted in 2013. The report also points to a troubling gap between what adults say and what students perceive about the importance of caring, kindness, and respect: Adults claim to prioritize caring, but that’s not the message that teens are hearing.

“Our founding fathers envisioned a society that balanced success and happiness with the common good,” says Rick Weissbourd , Ed.D.’87, codirector of the project and a senior lecturer at the Ed School. “We now seem to have lost that balance. And the irony is that the intense focus on happiness doesn’t appear to be making children happier.”

Weissbourd said the good news is that the survey clearly shows that caring is still valued by the students they surveyed.

“Our challenge is to help parents and educators show that they prioritize caring and goodness and give our youth an opportunity to build their moral muscles,” Weissbourd says. “We’ve drawn on our knowledge of moral development and social emotional learning to develop clear strategies designed to do just that.”

Some of the strategies the report suggests include conducting a survey of the school climate, cultivating student leadership to address troubling aspects of the school’s climate, building student’s capacity for empathy and self-regulation and their commitment to the common good, and ensuring that all students have a positive relationship with an adult mentor.  — Mark Russell is the project’s media and programming director.

Ed. Magazine

The magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education

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Redefining Success: The Power of Perspective

• by Victoria Wilson

Few words are as emotionally charged as the word “success.” And this is partly due to the current definition of success, which centers around achieving goals or acquiring some form of upward social mobility or wealth. The implication is that anything less is a failure, yet many people who are technically successful still feel that something is lacking. So, perhaps it is time to consider redefining success or, at least, redefining what success means to you.

What Does it Mean to Be Successful?

If you dig into the history of the word success, you’ll see that older definitions were synonymous with outcome, regardless of whether that outcome was positive or negative. However, if you look up the meaning of success as it stands today, two words stick out: accomplishment and attainment. In many respects, this shows how influential culture can be on our perspectives – we receive messages from the world around us about what success means and internalize them.

Why does this matter? Because our perspectives affect how we feel, not just about our actions and behaviors, but about the actions and behaviors of others. And these judgments, which are often subconscious, affect our ability to feel fulfilled.

The Role of Culture in Defining the Meaning of Success

In general, culture, and popular culture in particular, defines which behaviors are significant enough to warrant attention – something we all crave in one form or another because we are social animals, and our survival depends on it. We need other humans to see us and accept us. 

In many Western cultures that place importance on individual achievement, we pay particular attention to the successes of music or sports superstars. Yet we often overlook the accomplishments of the researchers and scientists who work as a team to develop life-saving medical treatments or the public servants who keep a society functioning. Of course, these are all successful people, but who and what gains our attention is driven by our cultural norms and supported by our communication channels, such as social media, news, television, etc. 

What’s crucial to note is that our definition of success evolves as cultures evolve. Similarly, our personal definition of success may shift throughout our life. The conventional wisdom is that when we are young, our world is primarily limited to our family, friends, and community and that as we gain new experiences, we shift how we define success. 

However, social media has disrupted how we view the world and what we think it means to be successful in life. If everyone is heavily filtered and posts only their most optimistic stories, it feels like the whole world is “successful”…except you. Therefore, it should be no surprise that researchers found a link between social media use and signs of depression . 

However, the good news is that redefining success for ourselves is entirely doable. And it is something I highly recommend, especially if you are unfulfilled and worry that you have essentially chosen success vs. happiness. 

How to Redefine Success

I often work with clients who have achieved a conventional idea of success (either through their work or the accumulation of material goods). Yet, they feel frustrated because they don’t “feel” like a successful person. In other words, they feel disconnected from their vision of success. With these clients, we typically start with a discussion about the cultural influences around us and identify strategies to separate ourselves from these influences – to look at the unique intersectional lens we have formed and how it compares to popular culture’s definition of success. 

But I wouldn’t recommend doing this all at once; it’s better to take it in stages. For instance, we might spend a coaching session separating true success from the “symbols of success,” such as:

• Expensive depreciating assets (cars, boats, etc.).
• A home in a highly aspirational neighborhood.
• Membership in brand-name institutions (expensive country clubs or private schools).
• Designer clothing that will be out of style in six months.

These symbols of success only signal a person’s willingness to spend money or ability to take on debt, sometimes both. But, unfortunately, it’s a competition that no one wins because while you may find some satisfaction from buying such things, there will always be someone willing to spend more. 

To be clear: I’m not saying that there isn’t a place for symbols of success. I’m saying we must get in touch with what these symbols represent to us and build a conscious understanding of why they are important. When I ask clients what meaning these symbols carry, I see a range of emotions and connections with these symbols – everything from:

• “I earned it; therefore I deserve it” to; 
• “This is what everyone else is doing” to;
• “These things control all the decisions I make in my life.”

Then, we insert a cultural lens, and I ask them to consider how they have seen this symbol of success throughout their lives. Usually, there is a cultural connection in that the item or experience embodies “success” somehow. When I ask if this remains the case for them given their current value system, some will answer “yes” and others “no.” But the difference is that those who say “yes” now have a new awareness around what that symbol represents. And, those who say “no” can release themselves from the bonds of guilt or frustration of trying to “keep up.” 

I’ve also worked with people whose cultural values place high importance on family and community. Yet, they abandoned those values to pursue what they perceived to be a “better” existence. The resulting tension can become all-consuming for such clients, forcing them to redefine what success means in the context of their life. Consider the following example:

Redefining Success: An Example

Lara (not her real name) grew up in a small town along the Pacific Ocean, where she was part of a tight-knit community where everyone knew each other. When she was young, she felt constrained by the community and dreamed of going to college far away from home. Her dreams came true when a large, top-tier research university accepted her. 

After attending university, Lara completed a doctorate and was later recruited into an organization that had a fantastic reputation in her field. From the viewpoint of her classmates and her supportive family, she “made it.” She had reached the pinnacle of her professional and personal life, but other wonderful life events followed. She met and married a fellow scientist, and they had their first child. She had what many would define as an ideal life. 

Despite her successes, Lara felt something was missing. She enjoyed her work but lacked control over her schedule, making parenthood difficult. Then, the pandemic hit, and everything (including childcare) moved online. The boundaries between Lara’s personal and professional life evaporated, and she needed support. 

Lara’s parents and siblings seemed further away than ever, and she began to miss the cohesiveness and interdependence of her small town. 

Lara brought her concerns to her partner, and the couple realized they had a choice. They could stay in the large city knowing no one or move back to her hometown where they knew everyone. It wasn’t long before their moving van pulled back into Lara’s hometown. 

When we worked together, Lara and I discussed what it meant to achieve success. She realized that the definition of success can evolve and that it is normal (even necessary) to revisit that definition from time to time to rebuild alignment. 

Lara now feels that her life reflects her evolved definition of success. She has regained the connection and community she missed and can be more present for her child, who is flourishing in the presence of aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Lara re-negotiated her role with her organization and continues to work virtually. She feels like her life is more in alignment with her values, and she couldn’t be happier. 

Success Redefined: Questions to Ask Yourself

Are you ready to reimagine what success means to you? First, consider one topic or aspect of your life that is important to you. Then, take your first steps toward finding your truth by thinking through the following questions and jotting down your answers.

• How do you define success in that aspect of your life? For example, maybe you grew up thinking that things needed to happen in a certain way, that there were milestones to meet or symbols to obtain that would represent success.
• What cultural influences have affected your worldview to this point? For instance, what cultural expectations have you absorbed from your family, friends, workplace, or even your affinity groups ? 
• If you had the option to redesign that aspect of your life, how might it be different? 
• Has your view of success evolved concerning that original topic? If so, how?
• What actions could you take to align your current state with what you want around this topic? 
• Who could you partner with to make this happen?

Then, once you are clear on the changes you wish to make, develop plans to implement them. And be sure to document your progress and celebrate each success along the way.

The Bottom Line

The word success carries a lot of weight in our society, and there are many expectations about what we should and should not do in our quest to be successful. But from time to time, we must look inward and consider redefining success as it pertains to our individual lives. After all, what’s the point of success if you can’t enjoy it?

To learn more about how the world around you can influence your belief system, I’d recommend reading our blog post on cultural conditioning .

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About the author.

Victoria Shiroma Wilson, Ed.D., P.C.C.

Victoria Shiroma Wilson, Ed.D., P.C.C., is the founder of Exceptional Futures, a provider of frameworks that help people tap into the power of their cultural identities to answer some of life’s biggest questions. Victoria is on the teaching faculty at Duke University and earned her doctoral degree in Global Leadership from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in Psychology from Santa Clara University, and a master’s degree in Asian Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Success — Extended Definition: Success

Extended Definition: Success

• Categories: Success

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Published: Jan 30, 2024

Words: 627 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

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Defining success through achieving goals, success as personal fulfillment, success as making a positive impact on others, the narrow definition of success.

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Success Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on success.

Success Essay- In today’s world everyone wants to be successful but what is a success. The perspective of success varies from person to person. For the record, the people before us have a different view on success and the person after us will have a different view on success.

Moreover, people compare different people performance to evaluate their success. But success is not something that you can copy from others. You have to make your own path to achieving success. In modern-day, people are obsessed with success because of the glamour and lifestyle of successful people .

What formulates a person successful?

There are many ways in the world to be successful. But most people think of celebrities, artist, politicians, and businessmen whenever they heard the word success.

Moreover, they think doing what they will make you successful but that not the case. They forget the most basic thing that makes a person successful that is their hard work, dedication, and the desire to achieve their dream. More importantly, they what they like to do not what that others told them to do. Successful people do what they like to do also they do what they feel correct for their business.

If you look in the dictionary for the meaning of the word success then you will find that it means the achievement of one’s goal or aim . So, basically, anyone can achieve success by simply achieving their aim or goal.

What is the harm of success?

We all knew that we can’t achieve something without sacrificing something. Success also demands various things from you. But these sacrifices will not go in vain if you achieve your goal.

Certainly, many people achieve professional success but in doing so they fail in achieving mental, social and physical success. The tension of lacking behind in other things pulls them apart.

Also, there are cases where people became so obsessed with success that the people around them start to feel uncomfortable around them. In some cases, they have gone mad. Apart from that, people also get depressed if they can’t achieve success like others. So, we can say that there is much harm to success.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Success and hard work

It may sound unfit to some peoples but success depends a lot of hard work. Without it, you can’t become successful. Hard work does not mean that you do laborious work or the work that make you sweat. Hard work means having a healthy body, strong mind, willpower and positive attitude towards things. And for all those things you need energy. So, be attentive to your body and soul.

Besides, do not just work on your program, push your limit, take charge of other things, improve your skills and most importantly keep learning. Apart from that, be with positive peoples, develop positive habits, and do exercise not only for the body but also for your mind.

To sum it up, we can say that success is like a seed that needs a balanced proportion of all the elements of life. And no one can achieve success in a day they have to go through and face different conditions in life for being successful. Above all, success is the feeling of fulfillment that you feel when you achieve your goal.

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✍️Essay on Success in 100,150 and 200 Words: The Power of Positive Mindset

• Updated on  
• Oct 26, 2023

The concept of success is very simple; if you invest your time wisely and work hard, you will achieve success in no time. But success is not as simple as it sounds; what might sound like success to one might not be the same for another person. It embodies the realization of one’s goals, aspirations, and desires, often accompanied by a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment.

Success is manifested in different aspects, such as career achievements, personal growth, or even the pursuit of happiness. It is a journey filled with determination, perseverance, and often a willingness to learn from both triumphs and setbacks. Ultimately, success is a subjective pursuit that reflects the unique path and definition of achievement for each person.

Table of Contents

• 1 What Makes a Person Successful?
• 2 Essay on Success in 100 Words
• 3 Essay on Success in 150 Words
• 4 Essay on Success in 200 Words

What Makes a Person Successful?

Being successful is very subjective and can vary from person to person. Therefore, here are some common factors which contribute to the success of a person.

• Hard Work and Persistence: Success requires effort and dedication and one has the ability to face challenges.
• Setting Clear Goals: It is very important for one to have specific and attainable goals which will provide direction and motivation. 
• Networking: The person should have the capability to build relations and at the same time be open to opportunities which strike. 
• Time Management: Managing time effectively and priorities is essential for productivity and progress. 
• Self-Discipline: One should be very focused and maintain self-control which will help them achieve long-term goals. 
• Management of Finances: Having a basic understanding of finances and managing them wisely is also very important for attaining financial success. 

Also Read: Essay on Water Conservation

Essay on Success in 100 Words

Success is the culmination of dedication, hard work, and determination. It is not merely the achievement of material wealth, but the fulfilment of one’s goals and aspirations. Success varies from person to person; for some, it’s a thriving career, while for others, it could be having a harmonious family life. 

To attain success, individuals must set clear objectives, persevere through challenges, and learn from failures. Success often involves learning, adapting, and embracing change. It’s the result of resilience and the willingness to keep pushing forward. Ultimately, success is a personal journey, and its definition is unique to each individual.

Essay on Success in 150 Words

Everybody wants to be successful in life, but are they willing to put in all their efforts? Success is not solely measured by wealth or fame but by achieving one’s goals and finding fulfilment. True success is often the result of determination, hard work, and resilience. Setting clear, achievable objectives and being persistent through challenges are crucial components.

Education is a common path to success, providing knowledge and skills that open doors to opportunities. Embracing failure as a stepping stone, learning from mistakes, and adapting to change are essential to achieving success. However, it’s important to recognize that success is subjective and can encompass a broader spectrum of achievements beyond material possessions.

Personal growth, happiness, and a sense of purpose are all part of success. Balancing personal and professional life is key to sustaining it. Ultimately, success is a journey, not a destination, and it’s about realizing your full potential and making a meaningful contribution to the world.

Also Read: Essay on Nature: In 100 Words, 200 Words, 300 Words

Essay on Success in 200 Words

Success is a multifaceted concept, often defined by achieving one’s goals and aspirations. It is a subjective and deeply personal notion, as what constitutes success varies from person to person. However, a common thread in success is the continuous pursuit of one’s ambitions, combined with determination and hard work.

Success is not solely measured by material wealth, but rather by the fulfilment and satisfaction that comes from reaching one’s objectives. It is the result of setting clear goals, developing a plan, and facing all the challenges. The road to success is rarely smooth; it is often marked by setbacks and failures. These obstacles are crucial for personal growth, teaching valuable lessons that contribute to success in the long run.

Moreover, success is not an endpoint; it is a continuous journey. It requires adaptability and the willingness to learn and evolve. Success can be found in various aspects of life, from career achievements to personal relationships and self-fulfilment. It is the balance and harmony between these different facets that lead to a truly successful and meaningful life.

In conclusion, success is a complex and individualized concept, rooted in determination, hard work, resilience, and personal growth. It is not defined solely by external markers but by the fulfilment and happiness, one derives from their accomplishments and the journey to achieve them.

Related Articles

Writing an essay on success requires you to describe this multifaceted concept. Success is achieved when one’s goal and objective is attained. Those who are successful, have fulfilled their highest ambitions in life and work, or are actively striving towards doing so. 

Happiness does not follow success. Contrary to popular belief, living a life that makes you happy can help you achieve your goals and be content. 

You gain from success because it gives you the things you want or need. Setting and achieving attainable goals results in a feeling of well-being. 

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay-writing page and follow Leverage Edu ! 

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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Personal Definition of Success Essay

Success is a single monosyllabic word that carries a different meaning to every person; this is the reason of having no absolute overall definition of it. In Compact Oxford Dictionary (2008), success is to accomplish, something wished, planned for, and attempted to achieve through hard work. The origin of the word success is Latin successus that means to come close after, it relates to the extent of achievement rather than to the volume of work done (Oxford Compact English Dictionary, 2008). To define success, one has to look first at the standards, keys, and models of success.

Success can be an achievement, a moment, or fruition, in any instance, success incorporates both perceptions and experiences; one of the major problems in defining success is that experiences and perceptions felt internally. On the other hand, evaluation of success is often by someone else (external), in other words there are objective and subjective standards for success. Further, the meaning of success differs with different community cultures, in industrial well-developed communities, three outcomes that decide what success is. These are influence, wealth, and prominence. An absolute definition of success will ignore people paving the way for success; an example is a schoolmaster who works hard to provide the suitable learning and teaching environment. Another is a volunteer at a local hospital providing support services to the elderly patients or chronically ill children, is that person successful or the hospital administration or doctors. This is another reason of having one’s own definition of success (Herb and Sweeny, Pp.23-31).

Success can be the achievement of autonomy that is one’s freedom to take decisions based only on his interest. For others, success is to achieve emotional satisfaction and constancy in the course of life, for others still it is achieving glory as for the Olympic athletes. What model an individual looks at as a successful one depends on one’ objectives in life to decide which model to look at (Herb and Sweeny, Pp. 23-31).

The keys to achieve success are many; however the most important one is to love what one is doing, that is simply to understand that success is not the gate to happiness, but happiness is the a key to success. Second, and of equal importance is to define one’s objectives in this stage of life, that is what does one want? In addition, defining one’s objective in life and the steps or the road to go through that is when does one want it? Of equal importance is to define how to achieve these objectives that is how does one want his image to be? Concentration on one’s goals (always keep focused), and balancing the various values and principals in life , moral, spiritual, physical, and psychological are two important pillars in considering personal success (McNamara, Pp.102-103).

The way Radun in 2007, defines success is convincing. Success is an aim in itself; rather it is a long road to pass through, it is not an end but a continuous expedition. To include all success view and experiences, a developed definition of success on three pillars, first is what can be achieved? Second, is a clear plan for the future. Third, is to enjoy the journey to achieve these objectives. In this sense, a person is successful, if that person likes what he does, has gratifying relationships, and has an achievable plan for the future.

As life issues are connected, one should always keep a broad vision of life to be able to assess issues in life and move towards them in an inclusive way.

Works Cited

• Herb, Greenberg, and Sweeney, Patrick, et al. Succeed On Your Own Terms. New York: McGraw-hill, 2006.
• McNamara, Carter. Field Guide to Consulting and Organizational Development: A Collaborative and Systems Approach to Performance, Change and Learning. Minneapolis: Authenticity Consulting, LLC, 2006.
• Rauden, Lori. “Success Coaching: A New Definition of Success.” The Online Self Improvement Encyclopedia. 2007.
• Soanes, Catherine, and Hawker, Sara (Editors), et al. Compact Oxford English Dictionary Of Current English, 3rd Edition. London: Oxford University Press, 2008.
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, October 15). Personal Definition of Success. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-definition-of-success/

"Personal Definition of Success." IvyPanda , 15 Oct. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/personal-definition-of-success/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Personal Definition of Success'. 15 October.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Personal Definition of Success." October 15, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-definition-of-success/.

1. IvyPanda . "Personal Definition of Success." October 15, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-definition-of-success/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Personal Definition of Success." October 15, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-definition-of-success/.

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15.7 Definition Essay

Learning objective.

• Read an example of the definition rhetorical mode.

Defining Good Students Means More Than Just Grades

Many people define good students as those who receive the best grades. While it is true that good students often earn high grades, I contend that grades are just one aspect of how we define a good student. In fact, even poor students can earn high grades sometimes, so grades are not the best indicator of a student’s quality. Rather, a good student pursues scholarship, actively participates in class, and maintains a positive, professional relationship with instructors and peers.

Good students have a passion for learning that drives them to fully understand class material rather than just worry about what grades they receive in the course. Good students are actively engaged in scholarship, which means they enjoy reading and learning about their subject matter not just because readings and assignments are required. Of course, good students will complete their homework and all assignments, and they may even continue to perform research and learn more on the subject after the course ends. In some cases, good students will pursue a subject that interests them but might not be one of their strongest academic areas, so they will not earn the highest grades. Pushing oneself to learn and try new things can be difficult, but good students will challenge themselves rather than remain at their educational comfort level for the sake of a high grade. The pursuit of scholarship and education rather than concern over grades is the hallmark of a good student.

Class participation and behavior are another aspect of the definition of a good student. Simply attending class is not enough; good students arrive punctually because they understand that tardiness disrupts the class and disrespects the professors. They might occasionally arrive a few minutes early to ask the professor questions about class materials or mentally prepare for the day’s work. Good students consistently pay attention during class discussions and take notes in lectures rather than engage in off-task behaviors, such as checking their cell phones or daydreaming. Excellent class participation requires a balance between speaking and listening, so good students will share their views when appropriate but also respect their classmates’ views when they differ from their own. It is easy to mistake quantity of class discussion comments with quality, but good students know the difference and do not try to dominate the conversation. Sometimes class participation is counted toward a student’s grade, but even without such clear rewards, good students understand how to perform and excel among their peers in the classroom.

Finally, good students maintain a positive and professional relationship with their professors. They respect their instructor’s authority in the classroom as well as the instructor’s privacy outside of the classroom. Prying into a professor’s personal life is inappropriate, but attending office hours to discuss course material is an appropriate, effective way for students to demonstrate their dedication and interest in learning. Good students go to their professor’s office during posted office hours or make an appointment if necessary. While instructors can be very busy, they are usually happy to offer guidance to students during office hours; after all, availability outside the classroom is a part of their job. Attending office hours can also help good students become memorable and stand out from the rest, particularly in lectures with hundreds enrolled. Maintaining positive, professional relationships with professors is especially important for those students who hope to attend graduate school and will need letters of recommendation in the future.

Although good grades often accompany good students, grades are not the only way to indicate what it means to be a good student. The definition of a good student means demonstrating such traits as engaging with course material, participating in class, and creating a professional relationship with professors. While every professor will have different criteria for earning an A in their course, most would agree on these characteristics for defining good students.

Online Definition Essay Alternatives

Judy Brady provides a humorous look at responsibilities and relationships in I Want a Wife :

• http://www.columbia.edu/~sss31/rainbow/wife.html

Gayle Rosenwald Smith shares her dislike of the name for a sleeveless T-shirt, The Wife-Beater :

• http://faculty.gordonstate.edu/cperkowski/1101/WifeBeater.pdf

Philip Levine defines What Work Is :

• http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/poems/levine/what_work_is.php
• http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/what-work-is

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.