Most of us if not everyone all of us wish to succeed in what we do. But we all perceive success in a way that is not particularly healthy. Winning is succeeding, but is it really? Many people win but don’t feel success and many people don’t win yet have a feeling of success. What’s the explanation behind this?

Let us not see the feeling of success as winning, but as satisfaction. You succeed if you feel satisfied. Even if you’re the best at something, there was always someone before you and there will be someone after. That is how life works. As long as you give your best you should feel satisfied and that satisfaction is what success is. Everyone wants more, that is how humans are hardwired. But even the ‘wanting more’ has stages. How about we see it as ‘Maslow’s hierarchy of needs’:

Until bottom set of needs aren’t fulfilled the higher ones cannot be fulfilled either. First there is a need for companionship, which doesn’t have to be a sexual partner. Nobody in this world reaches the top alone, or actually anywhere alone. Humans are social animals and we need other humans to survive in a heathy manner. Once you have companionship, then you need a drive. A drive to accomplish something, because without a goal to accomplish there is no requirement of satisfaction. This goal doesn’t have to be big like winning a marathon, or developing a company, etc. but as simple as getting out of bed and going for a walk, or writing your blog (if I must say). Once you have this drive, then your body and mind go into action to accomplish that goal. In terms of going out for a walk: you get out of bed-freshen up-have a meal-get dressed- grab your keys- get out of the house. After the action, it is time for the task itself. You go out for a walk, walk for a given period of time or just until you feel is enough. Then you come back home have a shower or eat or both. Without this hierarchy you wouldn’t be able to do anything. Without the need you won’t get a drive, without the drive you won’t put yourself into action, without action you won’t do the task altogether.

This is success.

You had a goal and you completed it. But completing a goal isn’t what defines success. What one needs to understand here is that the goals I am pointing at here are small goals and nothing life defining. But if you zoom out you will notice that these ‘not life defining’ goals actually are mini goals inside of a big goal.

When you look back on these small accomplishments, you will see how they have made you who you are and where they have made you reach. Just take a minute and zoom out from your current ‘small goal’, you will notice there is a whole universe of them. Earth is just one accomplishment among the millions of stars and planets.

Enjoy the small success because they are a part of a bigger picture you cannot yet put into perspective.

Jahnvi