What is Success & How is it Measured?

Riches and wealth imply possessions, assets, status and affluence. They also imply lots of money and, perhaps influence. In our modern world money is probably the most transferable asset.

In most western societies money is, arguably the most well recognised measure of success. But money does not buy genuine friendship, neither will it, in the opinion of The Beatles, “Buy you Love”. In fact, if we look beneath the surface at the value of money to an individual, we discover it is not necessarily the most important thing, nor the telling factor in their success and influence.

Time is a commodity which, when we are young, we think we have plenty of. But, it is not very long in the course of our lives before we realise we do not have as much time as we thought. So it’s not something to be wasted or given away cheaply. Time, well invested, can be worth a fortune in terms of influence and income. Wise use of time is often more important than having lots of money, if you want to make a difference in your world, in your lifetime.

Determination is quality of character which is absolutely essential if we are to make an impact for good in our world. As a young footballer I played at youth level for my local professional club, where there were scores of payers trying to “make the grade”. The rewards, even then, were high. However, it still amazes me how many players with outstanding individual talent did not make it as well-paid professionals. By comparison, there were many who did make it at the top level, with much more limited ability, but high levels of determination and discipline. Practice, practice and more practice, plus the confidence to believe they were good enough, was a winning combination for many fairly ordinary players.

Courage is another, sometimes vital factor in achieving success. Again using the footballer example, injury can threaten and sometimes end a promising playing career prematurely. Coming back from a serious injury requires courage to overcome the fear of it happening again.

Faith is another factor which is highly under-rated. Believing in yourself, your ability, your capacity to learn and make progress may be crucial. In some cases self-belief plus faith that God , himself wants you to succeed is a winning combination. It gives rise to a “never give up” mentality which often proves successful, especially in the face of the inevitable set-backs often encountered in life.

My next vital characteristic is heart and soul. If your heart is in it, you have a determination and a belief that you can do what is in your heart. It’s often a winning combination.

There are other factors, such as ambition, ingenuity and personality which can also be winning components in achieving success in whatever area you choose as a career. Here are a few examples of people who have succeeded in their field, indicating it’s how you finish that matters, not how you start:

Henry Ford, the famous American motor car manufacturer was not an instant success. His early businesses failed, leaving him broke on five occasions before he founded the successful Ford Motor Company.

Thomas Edison experimented thousands of times without giving up, before producing a commercially viable electric light bulb. He eventually hit on a winning design which revolutionised homes, work-places and leisure activities of people the world over.

Walt Disney was sacked by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas”. He had several business ventures which ended in bankruptcy and failure, before he found a successful recipe in merchandising, movies and theme parks around the world.

Jamie Vardy, the Leicester City and England footballer was released by Sheffield Wednesday at the age of 16. He played for three none league clubs, before Championship side Leicester signed him in 2012 for £1m, aged 25. Leicester won promotion in 2014 and became Premier League Champions for the first time in their history, in 2015-16 season. Vardy made his England debut in 2015, aged 28, just 4 years after playing for Fleetwood Town in the Conference.