Daniela Duca Damian
Have you ever stopped to wonder, “What does it mean to live a successful life”? It might seem like a simple question, but it’s not so easy to answer.
When you ponder on the question, you might think about how success is defined in terms of wealth, fame, and power. But when you stop and think about it more deeply, these definitions are hardly ever fulfilled.
How many people do you know who have achieved these lofty goals? And why is that? It’s because there is a much greater meaning to living a successful life than just money or recognition.
Success is about cultivating your inner world and living a life of abundance in all areas of your life – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Actually, success is about a lot of things. As it follows, I’ll tell you 10 things it means to live a successful life. But first,
What is success?
While it’s no easy feat to define exactly what success is, there are many people who have tried to do so. Here are some of their definitions:
John Wooden, a former legendary UCLA basketball coach, made a distinction between success and being successful. Wooden basically said that being successful is something you do and success is the result of what you do.
In other words, successful people end up being successful because they do certain things; they actively work for it.
Tony Robbins, a famous motivational speaker, defined success as getting the best out of yourself by making the most of your life. He also said that success is about making a meaningful difference in the world.
What else?
Robbins also teaches that success is a journey, not a destination. This means that there’s no endpoint where you can say that you’ve arrived and now you’re successful. Instead, it’s a lifelong process of growth and self-development.
Finally, Tim Ferriss, a bestselling author, said that success means different things to different people. For example, some people might choose to prioritize a high-paying career, while others might focus on raising a family.
But, ultimately, success is about…
- being able to live the life you want to live.
- pursuing your dreams and turning them into reality.
- the feeling of being happy, healthy, and fulfilled in all areas of your life.
- getting the most out of life.
- growing, improving, and learning as you go.
- learning more about yourself and those around you and being happy with who you are.
- having a positive impact on others and being there for the people in your life who need you. … knowing that you are worthy and that you are able to make a difference to others.
- living an authentic and rewarding life.
- and being a positive influence on the world.
When you add all of these up, you’ve got a pretty clear picture of what success really is.
10 things it means to live a successful life
1) You effectively manage your time and energy
Successful people know that time and energy are the two most precious resources on the planet. Without time and energy, nothing can be achieved.
If you have children, a career, friends, a partner, and a social life, then you know how challenging it can be to effectively manage your time and energy.
So, living a successful life is about achieving all the things you want while learning how to manage your time and energy in the best way. It’s about finding ways to prioritize, planning your days well, and embracing energy-enhancing habits.
When you live a successful life, you don’t let other people or various situations suck away your time and energy. You know how to say no when it is necessary. And you don’t let things and people affect your mood as you go through your day – even if you aren’t feeling 100% happy.
Successful people are good at managing their time and energy by:
- being clear on what they want to achieve in their life;
- determining how much of their time it is really necessary to spend on each task;
- prioritizing what’s most important and what can wait;
- getting the most out of their time and energy by making effective decisions.
2) You proactively establish deeper connections with other people
Successful people know how to connect with other people on an authentic and meaningful level.
They are good at building long-term, deep relationships with other people and they learn how to share their time and energy accordingly.
This meaning is about showing your vulnerability by being open and honest; connecting with others on a deeper level, and being there for the people in your life who can use your help.
When you live a successful life, you naturally establish deeper connections with the right people by:
- building meaningful relationships (both personal and professional);
- being there for others, especially those who need it;
- showing your vulnerability by being open and honest.
Why is this important?
On a deeper level, there are two primary things that motivate us to do the things we need to do. The first one is fear, and the second one is love.
This means that fear (or the desire to avoid something negative) motivates you to go into action or work hard when you feel a sense of urgency. And love (or the desire for something positive) motivates you to go into action or work hard when your heart feels happy and fulfilled about what you’re doing.
3) You know gratitude is important and you practice it
Gratitude is the key to unlocking abundance and bringing more good things into your life. How so?
Living a successful life means being grateful because it shows that you understand how much good stuff is in your life every day.
In fact, the more time you spend being grateful for all the good stuff in your life, the more good things you’ll attract into it.
What are the benefits of being grateful?
- You are able to see the good in everything.
- You can turn a bad situation into a good one.
- You can turn a negative thought into a positive one.
- You can turn a disappointment into a success.
- You will feel happiness and joy.
- You will be at peace with yourself and your life.
- You will naturally encourage others and bring them happiness.
- And you won’t get stuck in a rut of negativity like so many people do in life.
The attitude of gratitude is a practice that can be learned over time. It requires continual practice and the right mindset.
So, living a successful life means you need to nurture your gratitude; you need to practice gratitude every day; you need to cultivate the habit of gratitude.
4) You know your purpose in life
Knowing your purpose in life is an important part of living a successful life.
Many times people say that they know what their purpose in life is, but when questioned further, they realize that they don’t really know. They haven’t really articulated their purpose or made it clear to themselves.
Once you understand and define your own purpose in life, then you can live it and achieve it. You can bring into your life everything that you want because you will be following your true path in life.
The consequences of not finding your purpose in life include a general sense of frustration, listlessness, dissatisfaction, and a sense of not being connected with your inner self.
It’s difficult to live a successful life when you’re not feeling in sync with your purpose.
I learned a new way to discover my purpose after watching Ideapod co-founder Justin Brown’s video on the hidden trap of improving yourself. He explains that most people misunderstand how to find their purpose, using visualization and other self-help techniques.
However, visualization isn’t the best way to find your purpose. Instead, there’s a new way to do it, which Justin Brown learned from spending time with a shaman in Brazil.
After watching the video, I discovered my purpose in life and it dissolved my feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction. This helped me get one step closer to living a successful life.
5) You set goals and achieve them
What does it mean to live a successful life? To set goals and achieve them.
However, here’s what you need to keep in mind:
There is no point in setting goals if you don’t know how to achieve them.
Similarly, there is no point in setting goals if you don’t really want them. If you set goals that you don’t really want or care about, then you will struggle to attain them.
Achieving your goals is an important part of living a successful life. It is the pathway to bringing what you want into your life. It is the pathway to creating the kind of life you want.
That’s why you need to set your goals and then figure out how to achieve them. You need to create a plan of action to get the things you want. Moreover, you need to take action every day to make your goals become a reality.
Successful people know how to set goals, and they know how to achieve them.
How do you go about setting your goals?
- Brainstorm all the goals you want in your life.
- Write down some key targets within each goal.
- Define how long it will take for you to achieve these targets and all the steps that need to be followed along the way.
- Write down what skills you will need in order to do so.
6) You have boundaries and know how to say no
Boundaries are important to every human being. Why?
Because they are basically the rules for our relationships and interactions. They help us take care of ourselves and create healthy relationships with others.
To be more precise, boundaries are about:
Knowing where to say yes; and
Knowing where to say no.
So, living a successful life means setting boundaries and saying no when necessary.
Why is this so important?
Well, if you don’t set boundaries, then you are allowing people to walk all over you. You are allowing people to use up your time and energy. And you are not allowing yourself the space to live a successful life.
You need to protect your time and energy, otherwise, other people will suck them away from you, leaving you feeling tired and frustrated with life in general. If you don’t know how to say no, then you are allowing other people to take advantage of you.
The solution?
Learn how to say no. Set boundaries for yourself and learn how to take care of yourself while respecting the boundaries of others.
7) You are true to yourself
We all have different personalities, traits, and characteristics.
We all have different interests, likes, and dislikes.
We all have different desires, dreams, and goals.
We all have a unique identity or perception of who we are as individuals.
Understanding this difference is one of the keys to living a successful life. In fact, successful people understand that they are unique and this is what makes them who they are.
This is basically one of the keys to living a successful life because it shapes how you think and act. It influences all your actions and decisions in life. It influences everything about you.
When you are true to yourself, then you naturally attract the things that align with your unique identity or personality. This makes the people, situations, and events in your life more relevant and meaningful.
And when that happens, then you feel good about yourself and what you’re doing in life. And that’s a success.
8) You know how to let go of things that don’t serve you
Successful people are not attached to every little thing they have.
Instead, they know how to let go of things that don’t serve them.
They know how to detach themselves from things that hold them back or stress them out. They also know how to be flexible and adaptable to changes.
There are many things that we hold onto in life that don’t serve us:
- We hold onto unhelpful beliefs or thoughts.
- We hold onto habits that are not particularly healthy or helpful to us.
- We hold on to relationships that are not serving us.
- We hold onto things that don’t help us to progress in life.
There is no point in holding on to unhelpful things. You need to learn how to let go of these things so that you can move forward in your life.
So, let me ask you this:
When it comes to your personal spiritual journey, which toxic habits have you unknowingly picked up?
Is it the need to be in the present moment all the time? Is it a sense of superiority over those who lack spiritual awareness?
Even well-meaning gurus and experts can get it wrong.
The result is that you end up achieving the opposite of what you’re searching for. You do more to harm yourself than to heal.
You may even hurt those around you.
In this eye-opening video, the shaman Rudá Iandé explains how so many of us fall into the toxic spirituality trap. He himself went through a similar experience at the start of his journey.
As he mentions in the video, spirituality should be about empowering yourself. Not suppressing emotions, not judging others, but forming a pure connection with who you are at your core.
If this is what you’d like to achieve, click here to watch the free video.
Even if you’re well into your spiritual journey, it’s never too late to unlearn the myths you’ve bought for truth and start living a truly successful life.
9) You are a master at managing your stress levels
What does it mean to live a successful life? To master managing your stress levels!
Let me explain:
Stress is something that we all deal with in life. It can be absolutely terrible to live with.
It can be a major problem for us because our bodies have limitations that they have to work within and if we are stressed, then our bodies break down.
Want to know the truth? Stress is a type of poison that causes damage to your body and mind. It makes you feel unwell and physically fatigued.
So, many agree that you can’t consider yourself successful until you learn how to manage your stress levels.
We know that stress arises from the things we think about, the things we believe in, and the way we perceive life.
Therefore, one of the most important elements to living a successful life is understanding how to manage your thoughts so that you can control your reactions and emotions.
Reacting or responding to situations out of anger and frustration will only increase your stress levels even further.
That’s why you need to figure out how to think positively, how to be more rational, how to be more resilient, and how to make better judgments.
A positive attitude towards life will help you deal with stress better.
10) You keep a positive mindset
You’re probably tired of hearing about staying positive, but did you know that living a successful life means keeping a positive mindset?
Why is this so important?
Because, if you think negative and pessimistic thoughts all the time, then you are going to feel unwell and worn out.
It doesn’t matter how much money you have in your bank account or what kind of life you want to live; if your thoughts are negative, then you are not going to get there.
So, working on being more positive is something that it’s essential for every single person in this world.
Let me explain:
- Being positive about life means that you are always looking for the good in things.
- It means that you are not going to focus on the negative and pessimistic things in your life.
- It means that you will keep your head up high and be confident about what you’re doing and what you want to achieve.
- It means that you won’t go around making excuses all the time.
In other words, it means that you are going to be positive about who you are and what you want to achieve in life, aka being successful.
How to define your own idea of living a successful life?
This is perhaps the most important part of the article.
After reading all of the above, you should know a lot about what it means to live a successful life.
Now it’s time to reflect on your life and see what you can improve. Ask yourself these questions:
What does success mean to me?
What are the things that I need to do to achieve success in my life?
How do I want to feel at the end of my life?
These are the questions that you need to answer if you want to achieve a successful life.
But remember that the journey is often more important than the destination. Live each day to the fullest and enjoy the process of growth and self-development. You will truly live a successful life if you do this.
Live a successful life your way
You can’t really determine if someone is successful or not.
We can only see the results of their efforts or what they’re currently achieving.
And the results of your efforts are what you get to define as success – because it’s your life and it’s what you want.
So, ultimately, it comes down to you and what you define as success.
Defining your own idea of living a successful life is essential to living in a happy, stress-free way.
It helps you focus on what’s really important in your life and gives you the motivation and encouragement to keep going when things seem difficult or overwhelming.
And that’s what it means to live a successful life – in your own way.
