Ask the Readers: What’s Your Definition of Success?
This week, I want to challenge Skelliewag readers to set out a concrete definition of success for their blog or website. A point where you can say you’ve achieved everything you wanted.
My personal definition of success is focused around two goals: to be able to quit my part-time job and make my income online doing something I love, and secondly, to release a book or eBook through the blog. I haven’t achieved either of these yet, but I’m on track to do so.
What are the goals you’re working towards?
I’ll be looking for another most valuable commenter this week. Here is a quick summary of what I’ll be looking for:
- A useful and insightful answer — something others can learn from.
- Engagement with other commenters and reflection on their answers.
- Active participation in the discussion.
What I won’t be taking into consideration:
- Names, identities and affiliations. I’ll be judging by comments alone.
* * *
Last week’s question — what’s the most important lesson you’ve learned? — generated another interesting discussion with some fantastic comments and contributions. I’d love to highlight about a dozen commenters, but that would devalue the prize.
This week’s winner is Keira Peney (who runs a blog for game developers) for her original and insightful thoughts on the importance of listening as a blogger.
I’m not sure this counts as a ‘lesson learned’, but one of the best things I find about blogging is the way you can interact with people - to some extent it feels like the evolution of the message board. You can be questioned, sometimes you can be persuaded to change your mind. You’re always learning and developing - especially if you have challenging readers!
I think if I had to sum it up in one word, the most important lesson I’ve learned as a blogger is listening. Listening to other bloggers, to your readers, and in my case to my Dad who is my best critic! And really responding and engaging with other people. Being approachable really helps, and I think that ties in with being authentic, and including the personal stories alongside the factual information.
It’s like being at a party - you can either jump in and have a good time, or stand off in a corner mumbling to yourself.
Keira goes into the running to win a one-month featured spot in the sidebar, alongside previous winner SpicePuppy.
I’ll be judging that winner at the end of December, depending on their continued participation in the ‘Ask the Readers’ discussions.
This week’s question again:
What’s your definition of success?
My current definition of success is increasing my subscriber count. If I gain one subscriber today, I am successful. I try to keep that in mind when blogging.
At the end of every month, I write a blog post about what monthly goals I have achieved or didn’t quite hit. I also set goals for the coming month. One of the most important things to do is set smaller goals for yourself. Set monthly, weekly, or even daily goals. By reaching these smaller goals, which are more easily achieved, you will feel more successful every day.
I suppose my definition of success changes as I create and complete each new, smaller goal that I set for myself.
Well, once we have payroll in the bank, and once we have next months payroll in the bank, we try to have a place where people are usually happy to come to work.
Look, the reason they pay you to show up is that this is not what you would do with your life if you had google money. But there is a range, and on one end is the guy who cleans the loo at the prison. We aim to be on the other end of the range.
Me? I want to run that kind of company. I want employees to come to me for referrals for their closer-to-a-dream job. I want to watch my folks argue me into submission on key topics because they know more than I do and they have no fear.
I actually want to do exactly what I’m doing right now. (I’d like Santa to add a zero, if possible, just to the left of the decimal. Thanks, and could I putt better too?)
-OT
Well, this may not be concrete enough, but goal #1 is to get out of debt, and since my spouse’s income is basically just enough to cover our monthly expenses and minimum debt payments, any extra we pay towards debt has to be through my generation of alternative income. I do this a lot of ways, but developing the blog to the point where it generates enough income to get us completely out of debt is a long term goal of mine. So once if I hit my debt reduction goals through generating income with my blog to do so, I’ll consider the blog a success.
And the other more “bloggy” definition of success for my blog isn’t about money, it is about readers. When my blog has 10,000 RSS readers I’ll consider it a success. That’s kind of a crazy high number in a way, and I don’t know if it is realistically possible. But - the hallmark of success to me as a blogger is being interesting enough to be read, and if you are going to set a goal as a blogger, why not shoot for the stars. :)
Only 9,500 to go. ;)
I used to think that success came from the completion of one’s goals. I think that most people here would say, “Yes! That is just the ticket.” There is certainly nothing wrong with that. If you set a goal, and get it, that would certainly be a success.
But is that what makes one successful? Getting an end result? Or is it the movements that one makes - the actions - that determines success?
I have come to find that success is determined by one’s ability to express themselves in the moment. And that expression can only be there if we are doing what we love to do. The goals and end results will still arrive, but the success is in the doing. It is in that movement of life, if you will; the way in which we bravely push ourselves forward into unfamiliar territory.
You are successful only if you are able to express your natural gifts from moment to moment. The end result may well be important, but that is not what makes one successful.
Are we living our lives and expressing what is truly there? Are we pursuing the things that we CAN’T NOT do? Yes?
Then you are successful.
Takuin Minamoto - Tokyo, Japan
Skellie, I’m curious….
How do you plan to make a living from your blog if you don’t have ads, affiliate links, or paid reviews? I ask out of curiousity, because your blog is the island haven in a sea of mediocrity out there, and I’d love to know how you remain financially solvent without resorting to the abhorrent money-making techniques everyone else uses.
As for my definition? I’d like to think my definition of success would be when I can focus on quality over quantity — instead of considering how many more clients I need to pay the bills this month or how many RSS readers I’m trying to get, I can instead focus on the quality of my content and write less but with more authority. Concretely speaking, the day I start to *decline* clients and write less to gain more in return (susbscribers/comments, not money) would be the day I consider my online endeavors successful.
I need to think about this question some more.
Success is about connecting with my readers….about helping them to learn something and also learning myself as I go along. There is no pot of gold at the end of this path, instead, the path itself is success. Blogging has become a journey and I’m still focusing on developing a consistent rhythm and a higher level of quality.
I would not be happy if I plateau at 100 RSS readers some day. Or if the blog doesn’t eventually lead me to bigger and better things. Or if I never monetize successfully in any way. Those would be disappointing outcomes for me.
I will think more about what defines success for me. Thanks for the post, Skellie.
Our definition of success is simple. When we can quit our jobs, and focus solely on our business, we will deem ourselves successful. Once we reach that point our definition of success will change to the next logical step.
The goal for my blog is to certainly make money and do what I love, but my true definition for success is to connect to the world around me. This can mean connecting with people, nature, knowledge, or anything else that keeps me in touch with life.
I’m always at my most content when I feel alive. I feel alive when I’m learning about a new topic, discussing ideas with others, and solving problems. This is exactly what I get to do with my blog. Obviously I’d like to get new clients, write books, and build my brand, but it’s just an extension of my initial definition of success - to feel alive.
Skellie, once you’ve achieved your goals of quitting your part-time job and releasing a book, you’ll eventually want even more, and set new goals. That’s what we should all do. But success comes every time we feel good about writing that one post, or have an interesting exchange with a reader. To me, that represents connecting with the world and feeling completely alive.
Another great question Skellie!
My definition of success is not so much one of RSS subscribers, or how much I make by blogging, but one of how I can help others by doing what I love.
If the items and issues that I blog about are able to help one person see a different perspective and open their minds a little to it, then I have success.
If the knowledge that I have learned is passed along to others so that they may learn a new trick, or find a new blog or resource that they didn’t know about, then I have success.
If I am able to leave this world when it is my time, and to have someone say that I was a nice guy and I will be missed, then I have success in my life.
This is my definition (partial) of success.
When I have made the scientific field of geodesy and its importance to society something that people KNOW about, I will consider my site a success.
It is also a goal for me to become a better writer and a master of “quality-in-time” articles. This is a great challenge for me since the topics I write about is pretty complicated and requires a lot of research even if I am an expert myself.
@Takuino Minamoto - I totally resonate with your point of being able to” express themselves in the moment”.
I feel successful whenever I come up with a precise description of my thoughts at the right time. Those moments are not connected to my goals - it has a value in its own.
Generally, my goals are not economic but more a question of being acknowledged as an expert outside the specialist community - and a feeling of mastering.
I also use my site as a more modern CV. I am so active that keeping track of what I do is hard. Documenting my activity in a consistent and easy accessible way has been almost out of my to-do-list. When I need that information I have to go here and there to find out what conference I talked at, what article I wrote, etc. I will consider my site a success if I can go there and find out what I have been doing with my professional life. :-)
Skellie
Its a good question and something I have been thinking about recently. I am new to Blogging, not reading (been doing this for years), but participating - adding to the conversation and giving something back to the community.
I have just launched my blog which is focused on digital marketing and the Hospitality Industry. It is easy to get going and even easier to forget to plan what I want to achieve and how I am going to go about it. Keeping my posts focused, with a overarching conversation in mind is something I need to do (your question has helped).
So, my definition of success for my blog will be:
1. Providing useful, relevant and interesting digital marketing content that has a bias towards the Hospitality Industry.
2. Becoming an integral part of the marketer’s online tool box and best practice conversations.
3. Helping to develop a network of contacts that will provide value to myself and my readers.
4. Supporting my aim to be an authority on digital marketing in the Hospitality Industry.
5. Providing myself with a platform to engage in the online community and improve my own knowledge.
Like your other commentators, I would like to build my readership and have large numbers of subscribers. Clearly, this will help to massage my ego :-) But a more important asset would be readers that are regularly digesting and interacting with my posts.
Ravi’s comments are interesting. I don’t intend to drive a direct revenue from my blog, but it my help to build my long-term authority and value in job market place.
Well, lets see if I can put my money (or posting) where my mouth is.
Sorry, I spelled your name wrong Takuin Minamoto!
My definition of success is when I can truly help someone through my advice column. At that point, its beyond how many readers you have, or how much money you make– you actually help someone, maybe even change their life.
My definition for my blog’s success is having The New Jew: Blogging Jewish Philanthropy serve as a virtual office that can take the place of a physical one.
My dream is for my blog to serve as a hub of ideas and connections whereby I will be recognized as an expert and authority in my field based on the accomplishments and ideas that are communicated and achieved with my blog as a medium.
Because my audience is inherently international (Israel and the Diaspora), I can grasp this success much more through my blog than I ever would be able to in a physical office or tied to a single organization.
In short, my goal is for my blog to serve as an international conduit, an idea hub, and create a platform for authority blogging through my authorship.
Maya Norton
The New Jew: Blogging Jewish Philanthropy
@Skellie - actually the idea of writing a book is also a goal that I have. Writing articles on my site will gradually amount to enough material for a book.
@Justin Tadlock - I agree that those incremental goals and successes is important to reach your final goals becoming a total success as well :-)
@Paidtwice, Patrick - Reaching the readers is what the writing is about. You don’t write for vacuum. So if people actually reads your articles/post that definitely have to be considered a success.
@Maya Norton - I believe we have the same category of readership we want to reach in the sense that is is an international group of people that is hard to communicate with in other forums. Getting the attention from the target group will be a success in my book, too.
Skellie - I’m a bit disappointed with your answer to the question. Writing a book and earning an income so that you can quit a part time job are good benchmarks. They make good 30 or 60 day goals. But come on - is that your measurement of “success” ?
They are not good goals for success because they are not bigger than yourself.
I would rather you said you are taking one step at a time. And can only see as far as the headlights go.
But please don’t make your success goals sooo small.
–
(Skellie - I had sent an email to you but not sure if you received it. Apparently, my host dreamhost is greylisted by gmail. Please let me know if you did receive it by sending me an email at my gmail id - ankeshk AT gmail.com. Or I’ll try again on Tuesday. Thanks.)
What makes me happiest in blogging is, as paidtwice and patrick have said, realising that I have readers. From my point of view though, I don’t really feel like readers are real unless they speak back to me.
This means that my short-term goal for my blog is to double the average number of commentators. I think I will be successful when every reasonable post generates about 20 or so comments.
As an aside, it would be helpful if my blog generated enough money that I could cut down to working only 4 days a week at my day job. But if no one actively reads it, it wouldn’t be successful even if it made more money than my regular job.
My definition of success: Making a good income doing what I love.
This means writing about what I love and connecting with readers at levels if not as deep as an in person relationship certainly in a more significant way than just saying “hi” or “love/hate your post”.
I hope my comment comes after Evan’s because he comes close to expressing my own — doing what I love and supporting myself by doing it. I recently wrote a post about my journey to and through blogging on my site bookclubclassics.com and the snapshot version is — I do love teaching others about great literature and connecting through quality narrative and writing, but the “on-stage” aspect of teaching high school exhausts my introverted soul. So many of us met the classics — or great writing in general — at an age too early to appreciate it. So, I’m hoping to continue to connect to people through literature, but in a setting a bit more conducive to my nature.
I would love to increase my subscribers (I currently have 4… but I just started a month ago…), but more importantly, I would love to get an audience of book clubs for my kits and know that I was helping communities of readers appreciate just how great writing can be — even if we didn’t “get it” the first time around, when our adolescent concerns were louder than Gatsby’s dream…
Elliot, Landon and Patrick’s comments also resonated, obviously. I love Patrick’s desire to learn, too And Takuin’s comment really connected to why I have enjoyed the blogging aspect of my web site more than I could’ve imagined.
Thanks for a great discussion!
My blog is very targeted, it is about Hiking in Australia. There are lots of topics that provide people with advice about how to undertake certain walks or what type of gear /food would be suitable for them.
My goal is to get more interaction happening from my readers. I know I get a lot of hits searching for information but I have no way of knowing if their needs have been satisfied. It gets frustrating as that is the primary focus of my writing..to make it easier for people.
The rest….fame, fortune and part-time employment from blogging are all secondary at the moment. Frank
@Bente Lilja Bye
Thanks for the comments! Although the definition of success can include anything that one accomplishes (even bathing I suppose), it seems more worthwhile and meaningful to see the moment as the ultimate goal. The doing is what leads to the having, after all.
I think you understand this better than most. In your own work, what is done from moment to moment is more important than an end result, because there really is no end result. I sometimes work with an environmental organization in Japan, and there is no result that be considered “final.” There is certainly a direction, and concrete steps can be taken, but I cannot imagine X, Y, or Z leading to an final result.
Of course, there are always short term and long term goals, and achieving them can give on a great sense of accomplishment. But if that is all there is, life would be less fulfilling. Don’t you think?
@ Ankesh
It is of no real use for one to get caught up in the definition of success. One can look it up in the dictionary, after all.
I don’t think Skellie meant that those accomplishments are a be-all end-all final stop. They are probably just her latest points in the journey.
Someone might feel successful if they can wake up at six in the morning. Another might say it is a waste of time to feel successful about it. But who really cares? The real question is, what can one do, from moment to moment, that brings the most fulfillment for all concerned? Releasing an e-book for Skellie might be just the thing. She can express herself in a larger format, and also, provide value for others in the process of that accomplishment.
Any goal is good for success, as long as you express yourself completely, from moment to moment.
I think she’ll do just fine.
I have to agree with Takuin Minamoto.
Skellie, I think you are confusing goals with success. I don’t think you can define the big “S” success looking forward; you need to look backward - only then can you say, “yes, I have been successful”. But even then, have you “achieved” success? I think not: success is a journey, not a destination.
@ Anthony
Oops. Sorry if I didn’t make myself clear. That is not at all what I meant.
My point is not that Skellie is wrong. (How would I know anyway?) My point is, someone else’s idea of her goal being wrong is unimportant.
Who are we to say it is not enough, not big enough, etc? We can only see the current point in the time-line; if goals A & B are achieved, then success ensues. There is nothing wrong with that. And even though the goal might be achieved, it is not an “end” point. More goals will be set; more actions will be taken.
Perhaps Skellie’s definition of success is the journey, as I mentioned earlier. Or it could be the goal itself. Either way, it doesn’t make her wrong or anything of the kind.
Success IS the journey, but only if you are doing what you LOVE to do. Otherwise, it is a waste of time. If you work in a job that you hate but you say, “Success is the journey,” can you be trusted? How can success be “the journey,” if every action you take reinforces the thing you hate (the job)?
I think Skellie loves what she does, and it comes through in her writing. It is a natural expression that is plain to see. Since that is already in place, then any goal she moves toward is an expression of that love. There can be bumps in the road, of course, but that can be expected in any kind of endeavor.
It may just be a semantic difference in the way one uses the word, “success,” but even so, how can we know anyone well enough to say whether their goal is right or wrong? Especially in a case like this.
I can see how some might take it in that way, though. The question was, “What’s your definition of success?” And to say my definition is to have things X, Y, & Z, then it does seem kind of empty. “Once I have the car / girl / boy / job / contract, then I will be a success!” But is that it? Obviously not. You have the job, or whatever it is, so now what? Is that it? (That is not an endorsement for material things, by the way; just an example)
It all goes back to the definition. The meaning could be to have any favorable outcome. If that is the case, then no problem. But I do not think that any of us believe that the attainment is the end.
There is always more life to be lived, after all.
Takuin Minamoto, you make some good points. And lots of them! I would like to add that even failures are small successes. Each time we go through what we consider to be a “failure”, in reality it was a learning experience that we needed to learn in order to achieve our goals. I believe those failures are essential to achieving success. Too many of us, however, will let those failures stop us from moving forward. We need to take those failures and make them work for us, not against us.
To answer Skellie’s question … success, for me personally, is when I finally figure out how to take the gifts and knowledge God gave me and use them to be a blessing to others. When I am able to accomplish that, whether through my blog or another means, I will consider myself successful.
To spend more & more time doing the things that I love, increasing the things I should be doing and getting rid of those things, activities, people, and situations that drain my energy.
If I get you well, the question you pose is in three parts:
(i) What’s your definition of success?
(ii) You want to challenge Skelliewag readers to set out a concrete definition of success for their blog or website.
(iii) What are the goals you’re working towards?
I would wish to answer these three queries as they are posed. The first question is of a general nature and I’ll adopt a general approach in an endeavour to come up with my definition of success. Then I’ll signal the goal I’m working towards and try to weave up a concrete definition of success for my blog. I’ll be somewhat elaborate so as to make the definition unveil itself as we move forward. Sorry for that. So let’s take each at a time.
(1) It’s a very interesting discussion where nobody would necessarily be right or wrong. If at the end of the day, we come up with a good synthesis of all the significant views of commenters, we might arrive at a workable definition.
We all talk about success; hardly do we understand what it really means. As I hinted in one of my comments in response to a comment made by Julie in your previous “Ask the Readers” question, success is a subjective concept. Different people attribute different meanings to success. If to some it might mean wealth or having a nice bungalow or villa or the latest BMW (which I’d refer to as material fulfillment), to others it could be good health, recognition, happiness, satisfaction, good family relationship or promotion in their job (which may be referred to as a state of mental fulfillment).
Whatever be it, success results from our attitude. Success doesn’t manifest itself as a result of accident or chance; it has to do with the choice we make to achieve that fulfillment which we call success. It is a feeling inside you, not outside, and is not an end in itself. If we want to achieve success we need to set realistic goals. We cannot say we’ve achieved what we wanted and we stop there, seal everything and say we’ve achieved success. For the day we do so, it’ll be our downfall - a good recipe for failure (and that’s where you err, Skellie, as rightly pointed out by Anthony Lawrence; you have confused goals with success). Success is not a destination; it’s a journey. Otherwise all the big successful multinationals wouldn’t have been where they are today; and they are constantly developing new ideas and techniques and looking for … success. So what is success? My view is that it’s an ongoing fulfillment process towards realizing something we value (not anything that we want to achieve). It’s a journey where we are continuously progressing from one goal to the next and the next.
I believe success is the extent to which you feel you have done something well and have achieved the set objective and want to go forward, higher and further. It’s a sense of fulfillment of having accomplished something we so cherished. And it doesn’t stop there. Once one goal is fulfilled we want to go another level up in quest of more success (fulfillment) and the journey continues. So to sum it all, my definition of success would be “a feeling of knowing you are progressively and consistently reaching the materialization of a goal (or goals) that you value much”.
(2) Now let’s see what my goal is. I cherish to be able to progressively and consistently share reliable, authoritative and quality information, knowledge and experience on the internet highway. As you can see I have no material motives at the moment. May be as I go along this might become another goal and add up to my journey of success.
(3) Having defined what I mean by success, and what goal I’m working towards, you should be able to decipher what success concretely means for my blog. Let me put it this way: “My concrete definition of success for my blog would be the extent of feeling of satisfaction and recognition I derive in the step-by-step realization of the goal I’ve set. It’s a passionate journey on which I’ve embarked myself and each day is a fulfillment in itself, a success for my blog.”
That’s it, Skellie. Thanks for your patience. Over to you for any comments. I want to learn more from you and other commenters.
[...] post I mentioned about discussion topics at Skelliewag blog? This week Skellie’s query is about the definition of success. The question she poses is in three parts: (i) What’s your definition of success? (ii) Set out a [...]
First of, thanks very much for the kind words! Yay, I won! *jubilation*
Secondly - success is a difficult one to pin down. I think for blogging you can say traffic, subscribers, etc, which is all about recognition and respect… or you can say, making an income, which is about financial freedom. Or you can say both.
For me, success is both of those things. It’s also, in fairness, about networking. I’m a relative newcomer to the particular industry I’m writing about (game development). I’m hoping to attract attention, and become part of that industry network. I’m also hoping to attract talent from other (related) areas.
Also, since Write the Game is funded by a game software development company, I’m also directing attention (and traffic) towards them.
In more concrete terms, I would like to increase my subscriber count - my immediate goal is getting it over 100. I’d also like to increase my daily uniques, and have an article go viral.
Wow, there really is some good points in all of the conversations! From reading them, I think each of us has the ability and talent to define our own term of success.
For some of us, it might be making it as a blogger and leaving the 9 to 5 job. Others might just want to increase the RSS readers and comments on their blog.
But, from what I see from reading, it appears that there are a lot of us that want to be able to make a difference. Whether that is in someones life, knowledge, or niche.
I think being able to give back to others is critical in life, and blogging. I was raised and have had reinforced in life that it isn’t what you can do for yourself, but what you can do for others. This has rung true for me a few times in life.
Success is helping others achieve their goals or teaching them new skills or sharing of your knowledge. If you can do this, then success will often come back to you many times over.
My favorite part of this post so far has been how responsive the readers are to each other.
Skellie, it is a tribute to you that you have made this happen– a rare and feted feat in the blogosphere. Well done.
Maya
Back when I was doing the Online Dating Project, my favorite question/answer was “Where would you like to be right now?”/”Here, completely.”
One of your other commenters mentioned something I believe is close to my idea of success: the ability to express myself perfectly in the moment. Without that, there is no authenticity, no chance for connection; with anything more as a goal—e.g., more hits, more comments, more ad revenue—you quickly start heading down the bad path.
Ultimately, I see a blog, with its unique potential in the writing world for two-way communication, as a way to connect. So success means that: I express in a way that lands, that connects with someone out there. I plant a seed or a smile or a thought or an idea; I filter something through my particular consciousness that allows someone else to take the thought and filter it (and ultimately, in some way, express it) through theirs.
I do have goals, of course. I would like for the blog to ultimately become the “mothership”: the central locus for all the stuff that is communicatrix. A place to discuss and try on ideas, that I refine or reshape into other modalities: speeches, I hope, and books and essays in the mainstream media.
But success? I’m blessed with that right now.
Ankesh, writing a book and quitting a part time job are not small goals!
Skellie, you asked your readers for “a concrete definition of success for their blog or website. A point where you can say you’ve achieved everything you wanted.” I’ll have to cheat by saying there is no such point for me.
Several readers (and Aerosmith) have said it’s a journey, not a destination, and that’s what it is for me. Each new subscriber or regular reader is a new success, and the fun never ends.
[...] esta mañana vuelve a aparecer, mientras leo mis feeds, porque en el siempre interesante blog de Skelliewag se preguntan sobre su definición. Y se la pregunta a sus lectores, que son mucho y muy [...]
Hmm - my comment tone may have come out harsher than I intended. Sorry about that. But imho Skellie is capable of much more than that.
I still stand for: your success goals have to be bigger than yourself. Only then will you be challenged enough and achieve greatness.
If you’re going to think at all, you might as well think BIG. - Donald Trump.
In fairness, I think any ‘big’ success is made up of smaller goals. You can say “I want to achieve recognition and influence”, which is a big goal, but essentially boils down to you want lots of readers :D
Or you can say “I want to be independent and break free of the employment system and achieve financial freedom” which boils down to you want to make $xxx a month from your blog.
Or you can say “I want to make a difference to the environment, by raising people’s awareness of the consequences of our actions” which again boils down to number of readers.
I agree with Keira. Success is a series of small steps and it’s important to celebrate each step.
I’ve set my 2008 goals already…for my blog and for my personal life. I’ve posted my goals in front of my computer and that has a HUGE impact on my day because I NOW why I’m working this hard and WHY I’m working long hours.
I know I have to make certain sacrifices, but seeing my goals in front of me everyday makes this whole process much easier to accept.
I think that as bloggers we might forget about the personal aspect of ourselves because we spend a lot of time working on our businesses.
I also agree with Ankesh about seeing bigger than ourselves. When we really push ourselves, we know what we are made of. That said, seeing big has a different connotation for each and everyone of us… for some blogger it might be to reach 1000 new subscribers to their database…for others it’s to write an ebook and for others it’s to quit their 9-5.
The most important thing is to have a goal that is bigger than who we are now.
Thanks for a great discussion Skellie!
Gisele
Nice, communicatrix.
I thought Ankesh had a fair point. Not that anyone is wrong to consider a particular milestone as “success,” but that milestones are not as satisfying as good paths, and that we can often reach milestones that seem amazingly far away from where we stand right now.
My definition of success is the inspiration of magnificent action. I once had a commenter tell me she maxed out her credit card with a donation to Smiletrain on the strength of my post. So far that’s been my most successful day.
When readers tell me that they’re taking action based on my writing, and that action is strengthening their communication and deepening their connections, I am successful.
If a reader should be moved to take action by offering me an exciting, reasonably well-paid job communicating about stuff that matters. . . that would be a pretty damned nice milestone on my success path.
Skellie, I agree with Maya Norton, you have succeeded in creating a very interesting forum for discussion. The participants come from all over the world representing a variety of niches in the blogosphere.
I think you can tick this off as a success! :-)
Quite right, Bente. I love it when these kind of things get pleasantly out of control. So many wonderful responses, too.
As I said above. I consider anyone successful that can completely express themselves in the moment. That expression can lead to the accomplishment of any goal, or course. But it is that expression, that reason for being, as it were, that reveals fulfilling life.
It is nice to see so many others expressing that same thing here in these comments.
Takuin
Measuring success in achieving my blog’s mission - inspiring life-long learners who want to make the world a better place - will be tough since these aren’t quantifiable goals.
Fortunately, there are rewards inherent in blogging. Everyday, I’m achieving my goal of developing my writing. As my subcription list rises, I’m extending the range of my message. Little by little, I’m fulfilling my personal goal of making the world a better place. Oh, and I’m having a blast crafting this blog!
To all bloggers, as in the Ithaka poem, I “hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery…”
There’s so many positive comments in this post :D
@Gisele, do you really find posting your goals publicly has that big an impact? I am constantly trying to find ways of motivating myself (being apparently addicted to sleeping in :P) and so far writing them on my noticeboard and fridge hasn’t helped. Maybe I need to tattoo them on the back of my eyelids…
I think enjoying yourself, whatever you do, seeing it as an opportunity or a learning curve rather than an obstacle, and yes, enjoying each individual moment are really good ways of defining success.
A major part of success for me would be to do what you’ve done here — create a compassionate, intelligent, literate community that clearly enjoy being themselves and being with each other. On the way to that goal, I’d like to have readers and commenters who benefit from whatever wisdom and knowledge that I have to offer, and who offer me, in turn, windows into the world I wouldn’t otherwise be able to look through.
It’s all about the process that enriches you and others.
Just a few other things before the discussion is closed. It’s been a fruitful exchange of views where most, if not all, commenters have highlighted their goals and ventured into giving a definition of success as they perceive it. We can see the linkage of success to goals. Linkage there definitely is.
We may all legitimately have goals. They are pathways to success. But it’s not enough just to have goals and let things happen; they may never happen. WE should make them happen. In other words we’ve got to work towards the accomplishment of the goals we’ve set ourselves. There are some vital elements for the accomplishment of our goals that will eventually bring the success we want. I’d summarize these as follows:
We need to:
(i) have an intense desire to work towards the goal(s);
(ii) have conviction in what we are doing;
(iii) have commitment and enthusiasm to achieve the goal(s);
(iv) be dedicated in our action;
(v) indulge in hard work to make things happen; (don’t wait for things to happen)
(vi) be persistent;
(vii) be consistent;
(viii) be responsible;
(ix) have positive belief; (have inspiration not desperation); and last but not least,
(x) be prepared to give more than we expect to get.
You may add on other characteristics to these. But remember, we will achieve success only when we want it badly. Don’t rely on others to say you’ve achieved success. YOU should feel it.
So whatever the goals you’ve set for your blogs, do remember that you have to “earn” your success.
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