Redefining Success

what does success look like to you?

Author: Esther Ofulue

  • “Aesthetic success”

    A realisation that I had last year is that something can be good without it being aesthetically good. I got this new wisdom when I was reflecting on my summer and how although it was good, I had nothing “aesthetic” to show for it – i.e., nothing to post on social media that would prove…

  • Time is a gift: be present

    We tend to speak about time in financial terms – waste, spend, (time) management. Like money, we fear not having enough of it, which makes it a struggle to be present – to appreciate a moment for what it is…

  • The beauty of a balanced life

    From the conversations I have had so far, it is clear that a life of balance is what many of us aspire to, and this is no surprise. For who really wants to be working at the detriment of their mental/physical health, or at the expense of healthy relationships? Although the answer to this seems…

  • Friendship as Method

    When I first decided to explore the concept of success, I thought one of the obstacles I would encounter would be finding “successful” people to interview. In my mind, this meant people in the limelight, well-known and doing “big things”. It was not until I came across a research method called ‘Friendship as Method’, that…

  • Lydia’s episode

    For Lydia, making her parents proud through her academic performance is a marker of success. Growing up “poor”, has meant that Lydia places more value in the “small things”, but this also makes her feel pressured to change her family’s story. Lydia says her ideal day involves a balance of communal and personal time –…

  • Cecilia’s episode

    Cecilia is aware that success looks different for everyone. For her, a successful life is one of balance. One in which she can nurture her faith in God, whilst being physically and mentally sound. She revealed that being part of a church community is her greatest success as this has had a domino effect on…

  • Rita’s episode

    Rita says that growing up, a linear path of success was laid out for her and she did not even realise it. Since then, she has decided that she “does not want to feel like a cog”: she wants to decide on her own path even if it strays from conventional notions of success. Meanwhile,…

  • Robert’s episode

    Robert views success as “unattainable”; a standard which changes according to what those around you are achieving. He says that an ideal day for him would be one that involves novelty – meeting new people and experiencing new things. We spoke about his dislike for “hustle culture”, whilst speaking on the competitiveness of university. He…

  • Jeff’s episode

    Jeff says that growing up he felt as though failing was not an option. The emphasis placed on his academic performance has meant that it largely informs his definition of success. With that said, Jeff reveals that a balanced life is what he truly desires – one which although will involve work, it will also…

  • Michael’s episode

    My conversation with Michael revealed that traditional ideas of success, such as acquiring lots of money, can actually be adopted in a healthy way. Although it was his upbringing that first presented him with the money= success narrative, after considering it, he says that he has chosen to embrace this. Despite his seeming compatibility with…