What does it truly mean to succeed? Is success measured solely by tangible achievements, those that also allows a certain lifestyle? Or is it something more subtle, deeply rooted in what you feel at every stage of your journey? Is it tied to your perception of it? Are perceptions controllable, and to what end?

How can this reflection help you recalibrate your perspectives, and more importantly, your criteria for making choices?

The goal here is not to offer a definitive, prescriptive answer, but rather to encourage analysis and questioning within each of us. The context is to explore professional success by separating it from the broader concept of personal success, which would require a much more detailed examination.

Have you ever wondered what, in your life, allows or will allow you to say, "Yes, I’ve succeeded"? Or perhaps another phrase along those lines? Is it that moment when you reach a goal, when you accomplish a project that is close to your heart? Or is it the sense of inner satisfaction that emerges when you know that what you have achieved holds meaning for you? Or could it be something else entirely?

Because, let’s face it, many well-meaning people have their own ideas about what success is and are eager to convince us of them, it is crucial to foster critical thinking on this topic.

Can we even consider success as a universal concept? Is it detached from an individual’s personal values?

Let’s return to the question of external indicators of success—those that society values: a thriving career, material possessions that can be showcased, the recognition of one’s peers, etc. (this list is not exhaustive). Are these sufficient measures of your success? Or do you sometimes feel that, even with all these markers of success, something is missing—or might be missing—an intangible element that eludes these visible criteria?

Perhaps success is not only found in what we do, but in how we experience what we do. Do you feel accomplished when you reach a goal, or is it the journey itself that sustains you, that gives you the sense of being on the right path? Is success, then, a state of consciousness and realization to be achieved, or is it a perpetual journey that slips away the moment we think we have reached it?

Is external recognition necessary to validate this feeling, or does your own perception suffice to give you that sense of accomplishment?

How can you work on your perceptions?

Working on your perceptions is simple; it’s about seeing the glass as half full rather than half empty.

What benefits might you gain from this?

Envisioning success may also mean accepting that it doesn’t always conform to societal norms, that it can be envisioned outside of any imposed framework. It is, above all, a personal matter, an inner dialogue between your aspirations, emotions, values, and the way you perceive your own achievements. And in this sense, is success a feeling, perhaps an intuition, an intimate sentiment that only you can truly understand, whispering to you that, despite the challenges and doubts, you have found and realized what truly matters?

Ultimately, creating a success plan might be an illusion. It could be what sometimes prevents you, when defining a career, from diving into an invitation to explore what, deep down, defines your own sense of having succeeded.