Success Is Not Achievement: It’s Growth

Fahri Karakas
8 min read2 days ago
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

For as long as I can remember, I believed that success was all about achievement.

You know, the big stuff: landing that dream job, buying a house, getting married, starting a business.

The milestones that society tells us we should be ticking off like items on a grocery list.

And I’m not alone in this belief. Look around you.

Most people are chasing these external markers of success, aren’t they?

That’s why we pull all-nighters to get that promotion, post our highlight reels on social media, and push ourselves to the brink of burnout trying to “have it all.”

We do these things because we think that’s what success looks like.

Why do we do this?

Honestly, I’m not interested in dissecting the why.

I’m not a sociologist or a psychologist.

All I know is that it’s a mix of societal pressure, media influence, cultural norms, economic systems, and a whole lot of other factors that I’m not aware of.

We are who we are.

But here’s the thing: I care more about how we can change our perspective.

Not too long ago, I was on this hamster wheel of achievement.

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Fahri Karakas

Associate Professor in Business & Leadership at University of East Anglia. Passionate about doodling, imagination, and creativity. Author of Self-Making Studio.