If you were to ask everyone you've met for their definition of success, no 2 answers would be exactly alike - nor should they be. My personal definition is: Success is the daily realization of predetermined worthwhile goals, worthwhile both to me and to others.

Socrates was convinced that we give the most attention towards the least important things and the least attention to the things of the highest importance. He believed that "wealth doesn’t achieve excellence, but excellence brings about wealth and all private and non-private blessings for men." It was the state of the soul that was most important to Socrates: the inner life of every person, greatness of spirit, wisdom, inner excellence.

Once we give precedence to the inner, both inner and outer fall into place. Once we follow the other course, emptiness will result. Success as I define it begins with something in the inner existence of thought, feeling, imagination, and judgment. Success as I define it resonates deeply with our innermost needs and values, which then naturally manifests in the outer world. Only then can we attain the harmony and balance necessary for true happiness and true success.

The hunt for success should be an exciting and fulfilling adventure, where the enjoyment is the journey. I’ve said it before: one should not approach the road to success as one on which we travel today to reach success tomorrow. Aspirations to succeed and excel need to drive us every day. Or, most days, anyway!

What would you like? We require a clear conception of what we want, a vivid vision, a goal or set of goals powerfully imagined. What do you want to be? What do you prefer to do? Are you becoming it now? Are you starting to do it already, if only in a small way? If not, why not? What are you watching for? If you’re moving in a general direction you feel good about, are you making the kind of progress you think is appropriate?

Believe in yourself! We must have confidence that we are able to attain our goals. Once we set ourselves high goals, we always face a challenge. The knowledgeable Harvard psychologist and philosopher William James said that we must learn to banish unhelpful doubts and support beneficial self-confidence. Whenever we set new goals we believe in, higher goals we aspire to, and whenever we face new opportunities for growth and development, it is easy for doubt to rush in and meet up with us.

Focus! Dreamers can live inside the confines of condition and frequently are unable to accomplish anything in the real world. Their imaginations are in gear, their visions are vivid, but they are unable to make the leap from their dreams toward their goals. We have to concentration on making things happen; what it takes to get from A to Z, if you will.

Commit! We want an emotional commitment to the importance of what we’re doing, and to the people with whom we are doing it. This is a commitment expressed not in an individual action, nor even in a number of actions over a period of time but in an entire way of life. It means committing one’s self to becoming a "successful" person. In the immortal words of Vince Lombardi, "The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."

Finally, keep in mind that how we define success defines us. How do you define success? How does society define you?