Values & beliefs

What does success mean to you? Has that definition changed over your lifetime?

Why this question matters

Success means something different at twenty than it does at seventy. This question captures the evolution of someone's deepest values — how ambition transforms into contentment, how external markers give way to internal measures. The answers reveal not just what someone achieved, but what they learned about what truly matters along the way.

If they pause, try this

Ask what changed it.

What people often remember when asked this

01
Some parents talk about early career ambitions — money, recognition, climbing ladders — then describe the quiet shift toward relationships and peace. Listen for the turning point that changed everything.
02
Others describe success as always being about the same core things: family, integrity, being useful. Ask what kept that definition steady when the world around them was changing.
03
Many reveal that their definition expanded rather than changed — success became both professional achievement and personal fulfillment. Press gently on how they learned to hold both.

A small tip for the conversation

If they say 'I don't know if I've been successful,' redirect: 'What would success look like for someone else your age?' Sometimes it's easier to define success in the abstract first.

What does success mean to you? Has that definition changed over your lifetime?

Why this question matters

What people often remember when asked this

A small tip for the conversation

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