Whenever we attend talks by successful people, from Vogue Festival to Tate Lates or workshops and events organised by the IP Business centre at The British Library, it's inevitable to feel everyone's after the golden formula of success as if a quest for the Holy Grail. A recurrent question to a successful speaker is always about their secret, how did they make it to the top.
There's even a YouTube channel totally devoted to enumerating 10 rules of success, led by Evan Carmichael, with over a million subscribers. He edits media footage of key players in different areas in an attempt to capture why they have reached the top, as an inspirational source for others who are struggling with their career.
But it's good to bear in mind everything is relative, what works for some people may not work for others, but a fundamental question to ask yourself is: what is success to me personally? Generally it is associated with 'fortune and glory', the ability to live a wealthy life and be recognised by others as an achiever, or more coarsely by being famous.
To get there, some people are highly competitive and this can actually be fostered by companies, particularly in finance and luxury fashion, stimulating aggression with an eye-catching bonus culture. But for others, success can be working from home and being a master of their own time, when no day is the same. It can also happen that you know what you want to do from a very young age, when your strengths and talent give you a clear direction.
For many people, it's all about doing what you love and being paid for it. Others, more spiritually inclined, focus on a higher purpose, contributing to the world, like human rights activists and social entrepreneurs. So a good place to start is to answer what success means to you personally and be aware that how that unfolds is particular to you, and the specific circumstances you have in your own life to work with.
You can always learn from people you admire, but ultimately it's all about taking a good honest look at yourself and finding your own way. Don't get sidetracked by fears or expectations, living fully each moment is what matters most, one step at the time. Anna Wintour said unemployment was the best thing that happened to her so it really depends on your outlook. Just make sure you don't emulate negative behaviour and 'be the change you want to see in the world.'