How do you measure your success in life?

I believe that I have been a success. I try to look at everything in a positive manner. It doesn’t really matter what I think, but have you accomplished, or gotten to the point where you wanted to be? You should think about the career that you chose. To me, that would be an accomplishment. I just know how to ruin computers.
But you are also still young enough, not matter how young or old you are, to change your decision. If you don’t feel successful, try something else you like. It might be the right career move. Just stay with what you have, until you decide, and have another job lined up.

I think 25 is pretty young to consider or not yourself a success in terms of a job. you have a lot of exploring to do, ask yourself this in 10 years

I’ve never really tried to hold a meter stick up to my success level. I guess I would judge it by how happy I am. I am very happy right now, so am I very sucessful?

Success = happiness, financial independence, and being a good person. @mowens, are you those?

@holden You are successful!

Not at this point, no. Then again I’m only 20. I still feel behind everyone else I know who is my age. They have 2–3 jobs; going on vacations; getting their own apartments; juniors in college…
I think success is happiness and comfortability with life.

I love and am loved by many friends and family. I have 4, (almost 5) beautiful healthy happy grand kids, I have seen unspeakable tragedy and survived, I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and I think that through my children I have left the world a better place. I can’t complain.
At 25 you would have to be pretty extrodinary to already measure your success in life.

@Narl hooray!!!

It depends on your definition of success.

I am financially independent, socially acceptable, help others when I can, and am happy most of the time. To me, that is successful

I have not discovered the cure for cancer, nor devised a plan to create world peace, I just tried to be the best person I could be. I think that is enough.

I just ran up a vertical brick wall more than twice my height. Great success!

Really, the only way to measure success is to have goals. I personally don’t have any grand goals for my life; at this point, college pretty much sets its own goals, and when I eventually graduate, I expect I will continue in much the same way, taking life bit by bit, project by project, doing the best I can at each obstacle without worrying if those individual episodes add up to ‘success’. Granted, I can’t resist comparing myself to others, but I don’t worry about success in the abstract.

I measure success by how happy I am. At the moment I have money troubles (not the end of the world but enough to give me sleepless nights) which are making me very anxious. I also have a few other things on my mind which are causing me unhappiness. Because of this I do not feel successful. Hopefully tomorrow I will find out whether I will be considered for a second job I have applied for.

I don’t. You succeed or fail at Life’s various endeavors.

Life itself, you just live.

I feel I’ve had a successful life so far, & it has nothing to do with job employment. My husband & I have had a mostly happy life together, we love each other after aaaaall these years, we have two great daughters who love me to pieces & three grandkids that love to tease me, so I’d say I’ve had a successful life. That’s how I measure success. From the people who love you & the peace you have in your heart.

With a yardstick

@Jayne – what do you mean you ran up a brick wall? and what happened when you reached the top, did you do a flip and land on your feet? Is it like the french guys who go around running up walls and off roofs in a sort of dance, I forget what they call themselves? Sounds interesting.

I don’t think about it unless reminded by questions like this. I’ll never be successful according to my standards. So, rather than letting it depress me because my life is a failure, I try to place as little attention as I can on the idea of success (or lack thereof).

I have a great many friends who i love and who love me. I have a great relationship with my family. I am in love with the most amazing woman i have ever known (who for some reason wants to marry me as bad as i want to marry her). I’m 29, a doctor, and have traveled the world. I think i’m doing ok.

I don’t see why everyone says you can’t measure success at 25. I’m 20 and I consider myself a success. I have made goals for myself and have accomplished many of them and am still working on others. I am happy, have a roof over my head, am on my way to becoming a nurse(a great one, might I add! =) ), have food in the cupboards and am surrounded by friends and family who love me and whom I love dearly too. I really think that if you made goals for yourself and have accomplished them or are on your way to accomplishing them, then you’re succeeding. I dont think anyone can measure success by age. If you feel like you’re not making a difference with your job, why not try going back to college or if you’re not into that then try volunteering somewhere that means something to you(old age home, homeless shelter, animal shelter…) and make a difference. Do something about it!!!

Success to me is measured in the number of folks that you can help, doing a great job and doing it better than anyone expects. Being able to come “home“after work with a sense of accomplishment. Having the necessities of life in your home, along with someone who loves you for who you are, and you love them for the same reason.

Over time, big houses and fancy cars are nice, but being right with yourself and feeling GOOD about your life, That’s success!

I am happier now than I have ever been in my entire life. I own my home, my truck is paid for, I have a wife that loves me 100%, and I have a dog that worships the ground I walk on, or at least the kitchen floor when I am cooking. I have a job that I look forward to going to everyday, and co-workers I can trust to ‘watch my back’.

Compared to a lot of people I know, I’ve got it made!

@Psychedelic_Zebra That’s it! You are a success!!! My dogs do the same thing!!!

A measure of success in life…. If you were to die tomorrow, what would your closest friends and family say about you? Would they talk about your latest career move, or the brand new car you bought? Or would they say that you were a good person, a kind, generous soul who tried to live his/her life to the fullest?

@JasonsMom08 I think they would say that I was a man with unrealized potential, who’s kids were his greatest legacy.

For me it has changed over time. I used to measure my success by what other people had and I wanted. Then I realized it has nothing to do with other people, or measuring for that matter. Success in life is being satisfied with what you have, and wake up happy every single day.

I recognize how blessed I am, and realize how many lack for what some take for granted.

I’ve made it through some very difficult times and overcome some big obstacles in my life. I see myself as being a huge success for that.

I think I was successful and happy when I was still in college. I thought I was successful by the opportunity to go to college and possibly to do great things. Now that I’ve graduated and realize I do not enjoy what job opportunities are available to me plus not able to find a decent job since graduation has made me really question my success. Being only 24, I do not want to be one of those people that just settle and just go to their meaningless work everyday counting down the days till the next Friday. I envy the people who have known what they’ve wanted to do in life since they were kids and love every minute of their job. I’ve never really known what I wanted out of life. I definitely catch myself comparing my life with my old school friends from Face book. I now have realized the opportunities I let slip away and that are no longer available to me being due to my age or not being a student anymore. But to try and make amends I do have back up plans and hope my next endeavor will let me go back to school and try things over again. How I would measure my success in life would be a life full of adventure and travels, purpose by helping someone or thing in this world, a job I love by which I start the day and in a flash wonder where the day has gone, and financial stability in which I am living comfortably and able to take care of my mother when she is no longer able to work anymore. I don’t need anyone to tell me how successful I am, I just need to know it for myself and when I am old I can reminisce and be glad my life was not wasted.

By the way, I think you already know the answer to your question. If you’re not happy now then you will never see yourself successful because you will never make it far enough to actually accomplish any goals (that are actually meaningful to you) in a job you don’t enjoy.