Success Is a Moving Target. Here’s How I Know When I’ve Hit the Mark.

In this series, professionals describe what numbers govern their happiness. Write your own #MyMetric post here.

It seems as if the articles we have been asked to write lately have focused around this one seven-letter word: SUCCESS. But then again that makes sense since this word so dominates almost every move we make. Do you have a successful relationship? Were you successful in your job search? Did you have a successful meeting? Were we successful in losing weight?   

The odd thing about success, however, is that it is a moving target and one that is very hard to hold onto. I can feel successful one day and then the next I can feel like I have totally blown it. But that is another article.

So to answer the question at hand: My metric for that fleeting moment is when I have totally blown past the goal I was trying to achieve. Success is when the results are far beyond my wildest dreams for I did not even know how to dream that big. For me, the key component for something to be truly successful is that I had fun and loved every minute doing it.  

In thinking about the true definition of success, I have decided that when all that you have been defined by ceases to be and you still know who you are and like what you know — then you have truthfully succeeded. Last but not least, true success can only be attained when everyone involved wins, and there are no losers in any way. 

Turning 65 is the first time that age seems as if it is a turning point in life. I feel free in such a silent way. What is so great is that when I am asked if I think I have lived a successful life, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. How lucky am I that I can answer that question that way? Big-time lucky, and my wish for all of you is that as you look back on your life that you feel exactly like I do.  

May success follow you wherever your dreams take you.  

Get more insights from Suze at SuzeOrman.com and @SuzeOrmanShow.

More posts on this topic:

• “My Metric for Success? Happiness”  — Richard Branson, Founder at Virgin Group
• “Exit Interviews Reveal What Your Employees Really Think. Are You Ready?” — Shane Atchison, CEO at Possible
• “My Metric for Success? It’s All About Impact” — Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and Co-founder of Ellevest
• “I Thought I Was Short on Time; Now I'm Long on Meaning” — Maynard Webb, Chairman, Yahoo!; Former COO, eBay
• “Maybe Woody Allen Was Right — 80% of Success Is Just Showing Up” — Whitney Johnson, thinker, author, speaker, advisor, coach
• “How to Turn the To-Do List into a 'Winner List'” — Naomi Simson, Founding Director, RedBalloon; Author, Blogger, Speaker
• “Wisdom from My Grandfather: You're Only in Trouble When Life Stops Being Interesting” — Nicholas Thompson, Editor of NewYorker.com
• “There’s No ‘I’ in Team. No ‘I’ in Success, Either.” — Bob Nardelli, Former Chairman and CEO of The Home Depot and Chrysler Corp.
• “When Was the Last Time You Were ‘in the Zone’?” — Neil Blumenthal, Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Warby Parker
• “Why I've Learned to Celebrate the Daily Successes” — Marcus Samuelsson, Chef and Author at Marcus Samuelsson Group
• “Successful Companies Don't Just Talk About Gender Diversity. They Do This.” — Jonas Prising, Chairwoman & CEO of ManpowerGroup
• “When I've Opened Doors for Others, I Know I've Made an Impact” — Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, President, Charles Schwab Foundation & Senior Vice President, Charles Schwab
• “My Metric of Success? Giving Away Over $1 Billion” — T. Boone Pickens, Founder, Chairman and CEO at BP Capital and TBP Investments Management
• “Find Love in Whatever Form It Comes in For You” — Janine Allis, Founder of Boost Juice