Success is a rather tricky word in today's world. We all scroll Instagram, Snapchat, or whichever app we use, but in the end, the scrolling leads to one issue: a warped and impersonal idea of success. It's important to define this, as success is what we all crave, but we don't realize that it's different for everyone.
One of my closest friends aims for a happy family and a stable life. To him, that's success. For me, success is being able to travel the world comfortably and help others along the way. Everyone's idea of success is different. For some, it's having a stable life; for others, it's living an adventurous one where tomorrow is unknown. Understanding your version of success and thinking about it is crucial before making significant decisions.
Having a clear mind is critical to deciding on what success is. This means practicing reflection (internally, not in a mirror) and seeing what makes you happy in your own life. At what times are challenges exciting and fun? Most of us immediately think nothing and decide to move on. Don't do that. Think about this. Why are you where you are? For the most part, you made every decision in your life. You chose the job you applied for and the major you picked. Every decision you made, you did because, at the moment, it felt right.
Coming back to the point, thinking about these factors, whether it's science that makes you happy or coding (sorry for the STEM examples; I'm a big nerd, so this is what I know), it's essential to decide what is driving you. This will allow you to figure out the success component.
So, you've realized what you need to figure out. How do you? That's where vision comes into play (not the Marvel character), but your future vision. Whenever we close our eyes and think of the future, we have an idea. For me, it's owning properties, traveling the world (a rich dream, literally and figuratively), and helping people. The image is clear as day in my head, and most of us have a similar dream, but we let the fear of our past decisions cloud that vision. Here's what that means. No matter our age, we always feel like it's too late. We fear having a vision of our happiest future because that could mean having to start over, having to do an extra two years of college, or even dropping out (not that I'm telling you to). We let that fear prevent us from truly being happy, and we then choose to suppress it and make the best of a bad situation.
Life is short. I'm 20, and that's my viewpoint (I can feel the 40-year-olds rolling their eyes). But my point is, if you don't figure out success at any point in your life and go with the flow at all times, you'll never feel fulfilled, and you'll feel empty. It's about taking charge and making things happen for you. Here's a practical example involving yours truly. I've always loved science; that's without a question. In my first year of high school, I had my first run-in with neuroscience, and since then, I've never looked back at pursuing neuroscience. In college, while struggling with the path to take with neuroscience, I decided to follow my dream and go with pre-med after an experience with a patient. Then, I decided I wanted to pursue research, and a few months later, I decided I wanted to help people at this moment. Unable to do that with medicine, I started this blog. I want to teach you guys anything and everything I've personally been through. That's how I discovered what success is to me and how to incorporate it into my life at every moment.
I know what you're thinking: what if you're forty, have kids, and are unhappy? Well, I can't say anything, to be honest. I've never been through it. I can tell you that it won't be easy to make that decision, but if you make one that will benefit you, you'll never be unhappy. Maybe you can add to your life as the kids get older. There's always a way, sometimes you have to wait before you can start, but that's alright. Remember, success is what you make of it. If it's a happy family, it'll mean sacrifices, sometimes family drama, and not knowing what your children are up to. This seems sad, but this is the family you wanted in your dream of success. The path to it is hard, but the grand scheme will make you happy.
So, what are my points here? Success is a hard path, but the result will make you happy. Determining your decision before the hard path is crucial for you to embark on because otherwise, the result will not be worth it. The easiest way to figure out that idea of success is by looking at the things that make you happy and creating a life, not a career, but a life out of those things. The hard path will be worth it. How do I know this? Because a hard path is nothing but an epic journey, and as always, that epic journey is worth more than the destination alone.