I have always been driven by the desire to grow, challenge myself, and make the most of every opportunity that comes my way. I believe that growth begins when you are willing to set meaningful goals and put in the work to reach them. Since entering college, Iāve always applied myself to my studies and put in the effort in order to achieve my goals of landing an internship or a job of my ādreams.ā I became deeply invested in hard work because I associated it with the success I hoped to achieve.
Had you asked me what success means roughly four months ago, I wouldāve answered: having a successful job, financial security, and being dedicated to your craft. Now, I have completely redefined success. After achieving what was once my dream, I found myself on the other side of the āsuccessā I had worked so hard for, asking myself: When did having a successful career stop being enough?
This past summer challenged me in ways that forced me to grow way out of my comfort zone. I had to learn to realign myself as well as figure out who I am, which I am continuing to do. I became a part of the Gen Z hustle culture, which creates such an intensity in an individual’s daily life. I woke up early, prioritized studying or work, sustained many extracurriculars, and tried to maintain an active lifestyle, but doing so many things was not sustainable for me. Social media creates greater pressure because it showcases other people’s achievements, but not their struggles on the way to get there. There is such a fine balance between hard work and burnout, which is very difficult to combat.Ā
I realized that through my experiences, I began to alter my definition of success. The first was time. Yes, you could work a job and commit yourself every day during your 9-to-5 as well as continue working when you get home. But this ensures that you don’t have any time for yourself. What is the point of being successful in your career and financially if you don’t have time for travel, friends, hobbies, or even family.Ā Ā
Relationships and experiences also hold great importance in my definition of success. These aren’t necessarily things that I can put on my resume, but they are the things that fill my cup and keep me motivated through hardship. Having close friends, a healthy relationship, and the opportunity to travel are not measurable, but they contribute enormously to my overall quality of life. Without these things, someone could be extremely accomplished but lack fulfillment at the end of the day. I was at the top professionally, I had an incredible experience, and was succeeding in my career; however, my personal life was in a very rough place. This truly conveyed the difference between achievement and fulfillment, but without feeling fulfilled what is the point of everything else? Success should feel fulfilling because it represents more than simply reaching a goal. It should represent the meaning behind what you worked toward, as well as the growth and effort that you poured into it.Ā
Along with hustle culture, Gen Z has also completely reduced the stigma around mental health and made it much more of a transparent topic for people to talk about. With this, emotional well-being has become far more prominent and the desire to take care of oneself. If oneās āsuccessā is causing them to sacrifice their well-being, should that even be considered success? It’s extremely important to take care of ourselves and do things for ourselves, especially when in stressful environments. If we don’t remain doing the things we love and that make us happy, then we begin to lose ourselves in our jobs or schoolwork.Ā
As Iāve continued to shape my daily life and begin to restructure my goals, I realize just how important it is to live for yourself. Throughout my sophomore year of college, I was meticulously working toward a specific goal because I thought it would bring me fulfillment and look extremely impressive to others. Now, I believe that the measure of success isnāt what others think of your life; it is how you feel doing it. What is the point of being successful and aligning with a traditional definition of success if you donāt enjoy it? Of course, financial security comes from having a stable job and being able to afford a good life without worries of bills. But we should be able to enjoy the fruit of our labor and live our lives doing the things we love.