What is success

Discovering your success journey is best done in baby steps. 
Looking at big goals can feel daunting. Building a profitable business, writing a book, becoming badass in your field — these things don’t happen overnight.
Through research and experience, I’ve learned that tackling big achievements happens by taking small steps consistently, towards a goal that you enjoy pursuing.
Chicago Booth researchers discovered that to achieve long-term success, you also have to consider short-term rewards. The study surveyed a group of 80 gym members asking:

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  Did they enjoy the day’s workout? (a short-term reward) 
  
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  Did it feel useful to stay in shape? (long-term reward)
  
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  How many minutes did you spend on the cardio machine?
  

The researchers found that those who enjoyed their workout spent more time on the cardio machines. In other words, enjoying the process increases your ability to succeed long-term.
While long-term goals are important, studies like this show that finding joy in what you do leads to better success overall.
Maximizing the presence of immediate rewards when pursuing long-term goals, rather than relying on the importance of the goal to carry through, should increase goal persistence.
When you are deciding what success looks like for you, think about the daily steps you will have to take to achieve it.
Of course, it will be hard work. Every big achievement takes hard work. But the work itself has to feel rewarding. Picture what it will feel like working towards the goals you have in mind, and ask yourself:

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  Does it use your strengths, or demand skills you’re not suited for?
  
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  Do you enjoy doing it, or do you dread the daily effort?
  
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  Does it make you feel strong and competent, or ineffective and weak?
  
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  Can you see yourself doing the work long enough to get results?
  

When you paint a picture of success that demands work you hate doing, chances are you will give up long before you reach your goal.
So take your time, and conduct plenty of experiments before you commit to significant changes. Start small and see what if feels like.
To me, money, status, and possessions are poor indicators of success. There are much more powerful measures to look at:

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