Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Measurements of Success

By Charissa Manglona

For years, success was measured by the amount of money you made.  The more funds you had available, the more luxuries you could afford.  This type of approach towards reaching great success may have also required certain sacrifices...working long hours during the week and on weekends, limiting the amount of personal time.

In more recent years, the concept of creating a "work-life balance" has become more prevalent.  Recognizing the importance of having an income that creates comfortable living and still allowing for time to be spent with family, friends or participating in activities/hobbies, has weighed on many people's minds.

A year ago, I looked at the components in my life that influenced my sense of success, how successful I felt in those areas at that point, what would make me feel more successful, and decided on the journey that could get me there.  I recently reviewed my goals from the year prior and noted a tremendous amount of growth for me both personally and professionally.  By having my goals written down, I was excited to see the progress I had made and the transformation in my mind of feeling "successful".

This reflection prompted me to think of people with disabilities.  Their goals and components in their lives that influence their sense of success may be very similar to mine.  They may seek professional growth in their jobs and to establish strong working relationships with co-workers, colleagues, supervisors and senior management.  People with disabilities may desire to establish a balance with their involvement in activities, fostering relationships, and cultivating new networking opportunities.

Although the path that each of us takes to reach our goals may be different, three questions come to mind when measuring a sense of success:

Do you feel valued?
  • This could be through work (compensation/responsibilities/knowledge), by family members or community members.
Are you engaged/involved with others and are you gaining from your interactions?  
  • This is focusing on your relationships with others (work, personal, & community).
Are you happy and have a feeling of fulfillment?
  • This is looking at your life overall and each of the components involved in your life.

How do you measure your sense of success?

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