The Four Dimensions

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How well do you really understand success? What does it look like, and how can you achieve it? Is there more than one path to becoming successful? What lessons does it have to offer? Let’s explore these questions and uncover success’s true meaning and significance in our lives.

What is success?

Success often feels like a mystery, elusive to those who haven’t taken the time to explore its deeper meaning. Many people cling to a narrow definition of success, associating it primarily with wealth or career accomplishments. According to the Oxford Languages dictionary, success is simply “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.”This broad definition suggests that success can manifest in various areas of life, far beyond the business world.

One way to understand success is by considering the wisdom of others. Businesswoman. Anne Sweeney suggests, “Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.”The renowned American poet Maya Angelou said, “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” These insights highlight that success is personal, not one-size-fits-all.

Having retired, my understanding of success has changed dramatically. Live long enough, and you, too, will find your view of success shifting. Culture, values, relationships, and experiences shape what success means to us. It’s a personal journey; only you can define success, as no one else can or should define it for you.

What does success mean to you?

To create your personal definition of success, you need to consider several factors. Before reviewing real-life examples, let’s look at four components that can help you understand your present and future success.

Definition: What success means to you. Your description may differ from others’ definitions, and that’s perfectly fine.

Timeframe: You achieve success over time, varying from a single day to a lifetime. As your life evolves, so will your definition of success and its timeframes.

Status— Where are you on your journey? Are you just beginning, nearing your goal, or somewhere in between?

Measurement — How much success have you achieved in a particular area? Compare your current status to where you aspire to be. Are you there yet? If not, what remains?

Success is not static; it evolves. Over time, you will likely change or modify how you define it. For instance, you might define success as saving enough money to retire by age 60. Once you retire, that definition no longer applies, and you may redefine success by what you want retirement to look like. Similarly, finding a life partner might have once been your success goal, but after finding that person, the definition can shift to nurturing and growing the relationship.

Anita Roddick, businesswoman and founder of The Body Shop, once said, “I want to define success by redefining it… Any definition of success should be personal because it’s so transitory. It’s about shaping my own destiny.” You can change or redefine success at any time, and it’s entirely up to you how you choose to do so.

More than one at a time

Who says you can only succeed at one thing at a time? Everyone has more than one area where success is possible. You can define success simultaneously in your career, marriage, parenting, education, hobbies, and more. Success is whatever you want it to be on your terms!

Everyone experiences different types of success throughout their lives. You can look back on past successes, present successes you’re currently achieving, concurrent successes that unfold alongside each other, and future successes you aim at. Let’s look at these four dimensions of success.

Past Success: This is the easiest to understand because it’s already happened. You may have defined success as finishing college with a business degree. Landing your first job afterward was another success. And so it goes throughout life.

Present Success: This is about what you are striving for right now. Perhaps you’re working toward a promotion or a specific project at work. Or maybe success is spending more time with your family. Present success is measurable and what you want it to be.

Concurrent Success: These are successes you pursue simultaneously. While climbing the career ladder, you might also focus on building your savings for retirement or gaining experience in a new field. You may also fulfill desires you define as success, such as starting a family and purchasing a home. Concurrent success shows that progress is possible in multiple areas at once.

Future Success: Involves goals you set for yourself, such as reaching a senior position within five years. Achieving this requires regularly assessing your progress and adjusting to stay on track.

Final thoughts

You now have a new way to view success. You can design your successes around:

• Definition
• Timeframe
• Status
• Measurement

And you can have success in each of the following dimensions:

• Past
• Present
• Concurrent
• Future

As Arnold H. Glasgow wisely said, “Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.”I challenge you to apply this article’s content to your life: go forward, define, set goals, measure, and achieve the successes that matter to you and those you care about!