In general what is success and how do you know when you have achieved it?

As with most words, the meaning of this one is very slippery. Asking what it is without any context is not productive. However, the closest I can come to a generalization is: Success is the achievement of a goal.

Success is in the eye of the beholder.

@YARNLADY Asking what it is without any context is not productive. However, the closest I can come to a generalization is: Success is the achievement of a goal.
That is the rub, isn’t it? If I put in details of what I believed or heard that success was, IE the corner office, a Ferrari in the driveway, a 7 figure income, a trophy, etc, people will debate why those things are successful and not other things, or why a person cannot be successful with a 4 figure income because that is what they have. What of those people who set no goals or seek them, they are incapable of having success, whatever that is?

@Mariah Success is in the eye of the beholder.
What if their goal or anti-goal is to not work but live off the government or the charity of others? Is that really success or is it a success if they can live 100% off other people’s money? Once they achieve living off the money of others 100% how long would they have to sustain it to declare they were a success not being what many say is successful?

@Hypocrisy_Central If there is such a thing as people with no goals, which I doubt, To be sure of hitting the target, first shoot your arrow, then call whatever you hit the target.©Ashleigh Brillitant

The only true measure of success is happiness.

Satisfaction.

I think the answer varies depending on how each individual defines success.

A general definition of success might be achieving a goal or objective. It stands to reason that you know you’ve achieved success once the goal or objective is reached.

Unfortunately, it seems once a particular goal or objective is achieved people often feel the need to modify their goal or create another goal or objective. For these people “success” is always a “work in progress”. So maybe success may be more accurately defined as achieving a goal or objective to fill or satisfy a perceived lack or inadequacy.

For me, success is my ability to accept who I am….where I am…here and now.

I know whether or not I’m successful via my level of contentment or happiness at any given moment.

So if I become aware that I’m angry or frustrated, I know that I’m temporarily unwilling to accept who I am…where I am…here and now.

A lifelong work in progress.