So how do you define success? What criteria should a person have before you can say he’s successful, either in life, business or in web design? I think it all depends on the way you look at it.

I believe success to be subjective. It depends on you alone. If you used to eat one square meals before, and you made it a goal to start eating 2 square meals, then in that area, you have been successful. However, this post is not about one or two-square meals. We are talking about success. In business. Follow me.

The dictionary definition:

Success is defined as “An event that accomplishes its intended purpose”, “An attainment that is successful”, and “A state of prosperity or fame”. – WordWeb.

We should understand that basically, in the eyes of the world, anyone who has a nice car, a house, is popular, eats 3-square meals, and more is labelled to be a success. But most of the time, that definition isn’t true. I have loads of friends who  work in the bank and they are surviving on loan. That isn’t success, peeps, that is bankruptcy in the making! I remember when this year started, I had a list of things I would love to achieve before the year ran out. I wouldn’t call them New Year Resolutions. I’d simply call them goals. I’m looking at my list as I type this post, and I have achieved more than half of them. In my own eyes, I have been successful in achieving my goals.

Keywords:

To understand better, other things to think of when deciding if you’re successful or not: Ask yourself,

1. Am I productive?

2. Am I flourishing in my profession?

3. Am I prosperous?

4. Am I a winner?

Answering these questions truthfully will help you decide in no uncertain terms if you are truly successful.

In the Business sense

Ok. Enough preaching. How do you know if you’re successful in business? And if you’re not, how do you become successful in business?  Here are a few of my own personal definitions for success.

You are a successful web designer if and only if (iff):

1. You have a good client base.
2. Your clients are happy and satisfied with the work you do.
3. You have succeeded in learning and applying most web technologies and can compete with any well known web designer in the world.
4. You can successfully duplicate a complex website design (that I didn’t do) from scratch.
5. People recognize you for what you do.

That’s the way it ought to be. Write yours down. You can start with, “I can only be called a successful guitarist if I can run the entire fretboard in 10 seconds…” lol. You get the drift though. Whether you’re a web designer, a cobbler, (or shoemaker, like we say in Nigeria) a palm wine seller, anything at all, remember, you define your success. Its all in the palm of your hands.

Recommended Reading: SMART goals

So what am I doing wrong?

You say you’ve defined your goals and all that, but you’re not even close to achieving them and you feel you’re doing something wrong. Well, I don’t think so.

All you have to do to be effective, aim your blows and be strategic. It’s not how many punches that wins the round, but how many hits.

Reposition. Rethink. Adjust your environment to suit your purpose.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Focus 80% of your time and energy on the 20% of your work that is really important.

A goal is to get what you see on the inside to happen on the outside. You will know you are a success when there is no difference to what you see in your dreams and what you wake up to. – T.D. Jakes.

The truth is that we’ll all achieve whatever we want. All we need is patience.

Another example

Let me give a practical example. Take for instance, someone wants his blog to be a success. How would he know when his blog reaches that goal? See our post on SMART GOALS.

Is it in the amount of traffic, or in the number of comments per post or emails he receives, or sales he makes, or what? I’d say for me, if the blog had a purpose, say to sell stuff, even if you don’t have a single comment on a single post, but you are selling like hell, then my dear friend, that blog is successful.

We set our own rules. We are the kings in our own chess game. Get out there and succeed. And then call me, let’s have some wine together.

Enjoy.

Zee