By Erin Rebello

Success is the feeling of being accomplished, and you typically feel successful after doing something well. Success is something that’s different for everyone, and one person’s version of this idea may be the opposite of another’s. Someone may define success as attending their dream university, while another might think of it as winning a sports competition, and yet others will feel a sense of achievement when creating beautiful artwork. When I personally think about the word success, I think about the times I did well and felt good about myself. For me, it is being at a place, both mentally and physically, that I am proud of. Below are a few examples of my definition of success.

Doing Well In School

As a very academically-inclined person, I take pride in doing well in school. I love learning, and I put a lot of effort into my studies, especially science! Getting good grades is something that’s very important to me because of the career path that I want to pursue – being a pediatrician. It requires over 11 years of studying!

Being Involved with My Community

Although some people are drawn to athletics or the arts, I would have to say that my main extracurricular interest is improving my community through leadership opportunities. I’ve done a lot with the various clubs at my school over the years, and I’ve also held founding and executive positions. Being heavily involved makes me feel successful because it allows me to be a part of something greater than myself.

Having Fun with Friends

I’m sure that many people can agree with me when I say that hanging out with friends brings a lot of joy! Although I can no longer hang out with my friends physically, I still take it upon myself to hang out with them online, whether it’s in a voice call, video call, or an online game. I’m a very social person, so it feels very fulfilling to be able to have fun with people who love and care for you as a person. To me, this is success!

Staying Physically Healthy

Keeping yourself healthy and treating your body with respect is one of the fundamental ways to feel good about yourself. When you do good things for your body, it allows you to be more productive, feel happier, and even live longer! First of all, I eat nutritious meals – 3 nutritious meals to be exact. Don’t skip breakfast, ever! I also try to fit in some moderate exercise into my routine, such as a bike ride or walk around the neighbourhood. Another huge factor for me is sleep! I used to try and stretch out my energy, going to school with less than 5 hours of sleep every day. Once I decided to make the switch to 7 to 8 hours of sleep, I immediately noticed a huge improvement in how I felt. It literally happened overnight! With all that improvement, I would have to say with certainty that maintaining good physical health is a success for me.

Mental Health and Wellness

Besides the importance of keeping good physical health, working on one’s mental health is key to true success. In the hustle-bustle of modern life, it can feel impossible to have a good sense of mental health – but it doesn’t have to be that way! Prioritize your well-being and do things that make you feel good about yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself and learn to treat failures as learning opportunities. When I have good mental health, I feel successful.

Overall, doing well in these aspects of my life makes me feel successful. Although these things make me feel accomplished, it’s important to recognize that everyone has different goals and different definitions of success. What is success for one person may be completely different from another person’s definition of the word. For me, accomplishing my goals in these 5 sectors of my life is success!