The concept of success is complex and can be defined in several ways. In most cases, it is associated with the financial or career success, while the philosophical basis of this phenomenon is directly related to the issue of self-identification and self-esteem of the individual. It is essential to clarify the meaning of activity and assess it from the psychological and socio-psychological (communications) standpoints to understand the nature of success.
Success is commonly perceived as one’s achievement in the external world, regarding the material and other aspects such as high income, high career prospects, and other tangible achievements appreciated by the vast majority of people. The contemporary world is characterized by the general desire of people to obtain material values and possess various kinds of comfort (Wos 137). As a consequence, the cult of external success (the desire to have a lot of money, achieve higher job positions, obtain all sorts of pleasures) drives all aspects of people’s life.
The cult of pleasure, in turn, implies the dominance of the number of possessions over the quality of spiritual life. However, the amount of wealth in the world is limited; thus, people have become highly competitive. Subsequently, the side-effects of success have become increasingly important due to the globalization process. The globalization of market relations has affected the scale and the core intellectual substance of this notion.
Success has several external characteristics to it. Firstly, one of the leading characteristics is the financial and social well-being (possessing a lot of money, respectable job, and the position in the society), which is the generally accepted criteria of a successful person. Secondly, it has internal characteristics associated with the satisfaction from the achievements both on the emotional and spiritual levels (Cardone 27). It is crucial to note that a convergent approach to evaluating success should be applied, while it will facilitate the harmonic input-output ratio (Harford 247). The convergence in the evaluation of success leads to the idea of a balance between internal (material) and external (spiritual) human achievements.
The criteria for successful activity can be defined by several parameters, such as the achievability of the intended aim; the degree of consciousness of the individual; the psychological preparedness for obstacles, and so on. In turn, the successful activity implies the following stages: the adaptation to the circumstances, self-regulation of the person, and the purposeful balance between the outer and inner world (self-management) when achieving the aim (Keane 227). The goal-setting should be central to ensuring the success of a person regarding the adaptation to the external world, self-regulation, and the balance between the reachable and the desired outcome.
Despite the mentioned above, people tend to overestimate the meaning of economic wellbeing and the importance of social status, trying to persuade people that they are successful. Recently, the Washington Post has published an article about the habits of successful people (“9 Work Habits” 13). Despite the potential usefulness of it, it should be noted that the right habits are the result, but not the trigger of success, while it is the hard work and goal setting that drive people to success (Williams 53). Every individual, should set goals and realize his or her personal strengths and weaknesses when achieving this goal. This idea is applicable to both the spiritual and material strivings of a person.
Summing up, there is no singular path to achieving success; though, there are guidelines that a person should follow to obtain the best of outcomes. The goal setting is the primary aspect of success; it should comply with internal and external factors. The success is always individual (for some people the wealth is the true success and for some, the good health or kind family relations are the true notions of a successful life), notwithstanding nature, everyone should try to reach harmony in actions and perceptions. The person should try to balance the steps to success, depending on his or her perception of this notion, with spiritual development.
Works Cited
“9 Work Habits of Successful People.” Washington Post Jobs. 2015. Web.
Cardone, Grant. The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure, Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print.
Harford, Tim. Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure, London: Macmillan, 2011. Print.
Keane, David. The Art of Deliberate Success, Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Print.
Williams, Christopher. The Keys to Success, Bloomington: iUniverse, 2012. Print.
Wos, Dan. Defining Success in America, Bloomington: Balboa Press, 2014. Print.