Nick HutchisonFounder and CEO, BookThinkers

How has your definition of success changed over time?

28 Mar 2023 · 1 min

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In this interview excerpt, Speaker B reflects on how their earlier definition of success aligned with the traditional American Dream—achieving middle‑class stability, owning a nice house, and reclaiming time to spend with family and friends. While they attained these material milestones, the actions required to reach them felt unfulfilling and relentless, likened to Sisyphus endlessly pushing a boulder. This realization marks a shift from valuing external symbols of success toward seeking genuine, meaningful use of time.

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I'm curious as to what you defined as success before versus what you define as success now.
Yeah, before, my understanding of the American dream, you know, success was, you know, as a middle-class person, was to put myself in position to reclaim enough of my time that I could spend it doing the things I really wanted to do that was off the grind. And so, you know, you get a nice house, you know, you could spend time with your kids, with your spouse, with your friends. I mean, this is what makes life good. And so that was success. And I had it. And again, it does sound good, but most of the things I was doing to put myself in that position did not serve me at all. They really weren't what I wanted to do, you know. So it became like Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill, you know. You're there, but you never arrive.