What is Success and What Defines Success?

If you were to ask 10 different people, “What is success?” each person would reply with a totally different answer. Some might define success as material things, like a fancy car or a big house. Others, like Dean Graziosi, might define success as things you can’t deposit into a bank account, like leaving a legacy or making an impact.

If you look in a dictionary, success is often defined as “a favorable or desired outcome” or “the attainment of wealth, favor or eminence.” But is the concept of success truly so black and white?

In reality, what defines success is incredibly unique to each individual. And every person has a different idea about what being successful means. By the end of this article, you’ll have your own definition of success to inspire you to push forward.

So, What Does Success Mean?

All too often, the idea of success is lumped in with the concept of the “American Dream.” First coined by writer and historian James Truslow Adams back in 1931, the American Dream focuses on a “better and richer” life for anyone willing to work hard. But let’s be real: Anyone who’s actually worked hard knows firsthand that “better or richer” does not always define a successful life.