What is success?

January 24th, 2010 by Rose

An except from the book of a brilliant man I look up to.

I think you can see that my definition of success in business has nothing to do with profits solely for their own sake. This is very important. Success for me is whether you have created something that you can be really proud of. Profits are necessary to invest in the next project – and pay the bills, repay investors and reward all the hard work – but that’s all.

Nobody should be remembered for how much money they have made in life. Whether you die with a billion dollars in your bank account or $20 under your pillow is actually not that interesting. That’s not what you’ve achieved in life. What matters is whether you’ve created something special – and whether you’ve made a real difference to other people’s lives. Entrepreneurs, scientists and artists who died as paupers are often the heroes.

Successful people aren’t in possession of secrets known only to themselves. Don’t obsess over people who appear to you to be ‘winners’, but listen instead to the wisdom of people who’ve led enriching lives – people, for instance, who’ve found time for friends and family. Be generous in your interpretation of what success looks like.

In business, as in life, all that matters is that you do something positive. Thanks for reading – and enjoy your life. You only get one.

- Sir Richard Branson.