Success. The accomplishment of a goal. It’s straightforward, in its practical sense.

But when you approach it in the abstract, it becomes a little harder to put your finger on. What is success? How is it attained?

There are countless quotes about achieving success. After all, whom do you ask about success but those who are, at the least perceived, to be successful? Their responses are usually an amalgamation of passion, failure, and perseverance. Swami Vivekananda said, “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life—think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”

Bill Gates said, “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose,” emphasizing that failure and perseverance are a big key in being successful. In the abstract, answering the question of how to achieve success can be tricky. It is further convoluted by stepping back from the simple definition and asking WHAT is success? What does it look like?

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(Not to touch on a potential sore spot, but) what is a successful marriage? Is it simply a long marriage? Is it raising children that are successful? What does their success look like? Do they need to be doctors or lawyers (or engineers)? Or that old chestnut, do you or they need to make a lot of money? Or do they merely need to be productive members of society? What is a productive member of society? And, oh my gosh, do they or you need to be happy?

As is apparent, I and we could go on and on. Without defining what success looks like, it can be impossible to determine success. Perhaps it is incumbent on the individual or a small group to determine. Perhaps it is as simple as set a goal and accomplish it.

Quality is going to do its part and take a stab at it, so read “What Does It Take to Have Successful Opening and Closing Meetings?” and “Success” by Jimmy L. Smith. Also, check out the results of our annual spending survey with Michelle Bangert’s article, “Will 2025 Be the Year You Invest in AI?”

Enjoy and thanks for reading!