Key points

People define success based on stress, life stage, culture, and work demands.

Happiness rises when pressure is high and the nervous system seeks stability.

Impact grows in leadership roles where meaning and responsibility increase.

Success shifts over time, and alignment comes from updating your definition.

A colleague recently posted a LinkedIn poll asking people to choose the version of success that felt closest to their experience: happiness , impact, growth, or financial outcome. Nearly two hundred people responded.

The poll was casual and likely not representative of the general population. Still, the responses reflected a complex mix of psychological, developmental, and cultural factors.

People reveal their internal world through the version of success they choose

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