Definition Essay: How Do People Define Success?

Defining success is never as simple as it seems. People spend their entire lives aiming to be successful in their goals, but in actuality, many individuals don’t even know what it is they’re striving to achieve. The reason for this is that success can be defined in a number of different ways depending on the person that you ask. In particular, countless individuals associate success with the widespread idea that achieving milestones such as gaining wealth or power; but for others, defining success is a more difficult, personal, and complex experience.
For instance, a person achieving genuine success in their life can be determined by if the person is finding joy and pleasure in their career and life experience. Individuals who have jobs that they find interesting and engaging are more likely to be satisfied with their work. In 2015, a study conducted by Jim Asplund and Gwen Elliot found that employees who use their strengths daily are eight-percent more productive and fifteen-percent less likely to quit their jobs than those working in a career field that does make use of their strengths and weaknesses.
On the other hand, some individuals may associate …show more content…
While some people equate having wealth and power as being successful, that is often not the case. Although earning and having money is an important aspect of our economy and existence, earning large sums of money is not an accurate way of measuring nor determining if a person is successful or not. Those who find true satisfaction in life, regardless of their wealth or social status, are the ones who have reached true success. As put into words by award-winning author Maya Angelou, "success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." True success is achieved when an individual has reached a point in their life where their goals and achievements are meaningful and