What is Success?

The dictionary defines success as “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.” Now technically speaking this is correct but success can be such a broad term and mean so many different things to different people.

And success should mean different things. Whether or not you are successful depends on how you define success, and on the tradeoffs you are willing to not just accept but embrace as you pursue that definition of success. We can have a lot but we can't have everything.

Am I A Success?

Recently, Viking Blog got in touch and asked to feature Selina & Co. in their Business Success blog series and it got me thinking about what makes a success and whether or not I felt like my business or I were in fact a success.

Defining success is important, but taking a clear-eyed look at the impact of your definition matters even more. As in most things, your intention is important, but the results provide the real answer.

Back when I worked in London as an Executive Personal Assistant, I certainly felt like a success in my work life. I was working with high-profile clients and doing my job well. However, I felt like I was failing at maintaining a work-life balance and my personal life was suffering.

Making A Change

I left my stable job in 2016 to find a better balance but did that make me a failure as opposed to a success. Over the past three years, I have built a business from the ground up which now has a turnover of 6-7 figures, and I am working from home where I can be the kind of mother I want to be.

Am I a success now? If I am, at what point did I become a success? When we talk about a "successful" person, we're typically talking about someone who's got billions in their bank account, someone who's authored multiple bestsellers, or maybe someone who's in charge of an entire nation.

However, being asked by Viking Blog to be part of their Business Success blog series really made me stop and think. I don’t have to have solved the problem of World Peace, published 10 best sellers or become Prime Minister to be a success.

The Future

I am a success because I set out to accomplish what I wanted from life. I have built and maintained a successful business and career, been there for my children and created a work-life balance that some people only dream of. In years to come, when my children stop to look at me and what I have achieved, I will be proud of what they see, because I am a success.

I was interviewed by Viking UK to share my story on business success for their Tomorrow's Leaders series. Read my full interview here.