How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? Or, How Do You Define Success Anyway?

What metrics define success?

If you are an athlete it could be defined by times, distance, height, weight. Measurable. I started doing the Park Run at the beginning of the year with the aim of being able to run 5 kilometres in under 30 minutes. My first few runs were around the 34 minute mark. Slowly, over 23 runs completed this year, I am now under 30 minutes (on average). My 2025 goal will be not only to maintain that pace, but work towards being under 29:30 (consistently – I am defining ‘consistent’ as 4 consecutive weeks under that time), with the goal of reaching 29 minutes (consistently).

If, however, you are a creative, the definition becomes as solid as holding mist in your hand.

Today I was reading a writer’s chapbook on goal setting, and one of the exercises it had was for you to write down what you defined as ‘success’ as a writer. It linked to a a range of writers’ responses as to what they considered ‘success’ and were ever aware that the goals for a writer are forever changing. For some it was the ability to live off the income from their writing. For others it was the success of having written and submitted.

It made me think about what I considered as successful. I doubted that I was a ‘successful’ writer because there are a number of goals and dreams and aspirations I have for the future that are, as yet, unfulfilled.

And yet…

• my debut co-authored novel, Postmarked Piper’s Reach, was published in 2019. It’s now out of print but you can read the letters like a web serial: Postmarked Piper’s Reach

• my chapbook, Mount Pleasant, was published in 2021. I aim to re-release it next year with the art I drew for it.

• I have had 12 short stories accepted for publication since 2022. Some of these have won awards.

• I have sold a few pieces of art and have been asked for commissions.

This is the success of continued application and hard work and good luck.

For 2025 I have begun to plan for the writing of my first novel. Success will mean hitting the action points I have put in place. Success will mean revisiting and revising those action points and goals, and where necessary, putting in place specific steps to achieve them.

Success is elusive.

I recently submitted a short story, and I have no idea how it will go. However, it has been read by a few people who gave their feedback, and it resonated with them. If the story ends up going nowhere, I know there will have been a few people who read the story and loved it for what it was.

That is success.