SUCCESS

Keri S.

April 25, 2010 - 4:00 PM

This week for my Alpha Kappa Psi meeting, our professional speaker was a professor from the business school, Mike Dore. Professor Dore teaches the core marketing class, so every student who graduates with a business or accounting degree will have him as a professor. He is a very interactive and charismatic teacher, and has been one of my favorite professors in the business school.

Professor Dore talked about the idea of success. This is something that as a graduating senior has been on my mind a lot. Most of us come to college so we can be successful-but what does that word even mean? As I start the career search and the interviews, I am trying to figure out what my goals are and where my priorities lie. So many people associate success with their careers and with how much money they make. But as Professor Dore explored, success can be much more than that.
Beyond having a successful career, Professor Dore stated that there are other aspects of your life that allow you to be successful-having a family, having friends and relationships, being healthy, being faithful, having time for leisure and travel, continued learning and knowledge, and a good attitude. There is much, MUCH more to life than your career. Although it was a little bit of a sigh of relief, his lecture left me scratching my head and examining my own life. How will I be successful? How do I define success, and how will this help guide me in my career search?

While talking about service, Professor Dore quoted Sir Winston Churchill:

This quote summed up Professor Dore's speech to me. Most people focus on how to make a living and how to make money. They work outrageous hours in a career that may or may not make them happy. They spend too much time making a living instead of making a life. It is all about balance! Through my career search, I am trying to find something that will allow me to give back and contribute to a cause I believe in. It is also important to me to live a balanced life that allows me to have friends, family, and eventually a marriage and children. I want the ability to travel and pursue my hobbies, and to maintain my health and faith. All of this is overwhelming-and seems to ultimately revolve around my career. However, I feel that as long as I focus on keeping balance in my life, everything will fall into place as it is supposed to.

In general, I am someone who lives by checklists. I make multiple checklists a day for groceries, homework, tests, and general to-do. I like to write something down, complete it, and then check it off. However, when it comes to being successful, it is beyond a simple checklist. There is no formula and no set of assigned tasks that need to be completed. Instead, it is a process and a lifestyle that is always changing.

A big thanks to Professor Dore. I am glad he was able to come to our meeting this week and bring up this topic for me discussion and reflection!