As you’d expect, the measuring stick for success is different for each person. Maybe it’s to retire wealthy by age 35. More realistically, especially in the face of the current jobless rate, simply being able to keep your job is a sign of success. What defines success anyway?

One definition is “an event that accomplishes its intended purpose”. This means setting measurable goals for yourself. If you say, “I want to become a better person,” how will you know when you’ve accomplished it? Better to instead say things like, “I want to argue with people less.” Even better for knowing for certain whether you’ve succeeded is to make it quantifiable, like “I will raise my voice no more than four times this week.”

On a personal level, I would say I’ve been very successful. My only measure of success for it is to ask myself, “Am I happy and satisfied?” If the answer is yes, then I have achieved success. My relationships with others satisfies me.

On a professional level, I’m a little more troubled. If I use the same technique as my personal measure of success, it doesn’ t work quite as well. I sometimes am happy and satisfied, but I could always be making more money, or move up the organization. Where do I draw the line that tells me I’ve achieved success?

I’ve never set any goals for myself, so maybe that’s my problem. I don’t follow my own advice. In order to realize our ambitions, we need to recognize what those ambitions are. Perhaps answering the question of “What is your dream job?” is the key. Putting the answer into words helps you define what you want, and gives you something to aspire to.