Are you successful? How do you know? Success can be measured in a myriad of ways, but how do you measure it?

If we’re being honest most people would measure success by their monetary value. The amount of money one makes can sometimes define how successful that person is. Of course money is important. Paying bills, providing for families and enjoying lives, all start with money. So how much money do you need to be successful? Or is not about the money but about the job? Or maybe it’s about something entirely different.

In 2014 the median household income for the U.S. was $52,250, according to the department of numbers. So if someone is making the average annual income are they successful? Perhaps yes, but what about those of who aren’t making that much money every year, are they not successful? How do you define success?

Success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose, according to Webster’s Dictionary. Therein lies how you decide if you are successful or not. What is your aim or purpose? Some aim to find a partner to spend their life with and create a family, others aim to be the founder of a fortune 500 company and some aim to travel the world. Defining your goal and then taking the steps to reach it, that’s how you become successful.

Easier said than done right? Everyone wants to feel secure in their livelihood. Discovering success in monetary value is hard to ignore but it isn’t what defines your success. Do you have what you want in life right now? If you want a family and you have that, then you are successful. If you want to travel around the world and you have your passport, then you are successful. If you audition for a part and you get a call back, then you are successful.

It’s not about the money or being average, it’s about the goal. There are so many goals that need the help of income. Of course having a job and paying your bills is a necessity. Having a job is probably the first step in any goal. If your goal is family, you need a job to support it. If you want to travel, you need a job for the plane ticket. Understand the steps you need to take to reach your goal to be successful.

Money is a step to success, not success itself. Decide your goal, get your job, take your steps, be successful.