Success and Fulfillment

Success and Fulfillment

by Anna Pivtorak Kostyuk

07.11.2025

In common understanding, success is often associated with recognition, wealth, or influence over others. My definition is far more precise and far less global. For me, success is any executed plan or solved task — a clear measure of effective performance and quality of output.

Thus, financial stability does not determine my sense of fulfillment. I am grateful for the ability to think, create, and contribute not only to my family but also to the world. As long as this ability remains, I will continue to act — regardless of external resources.

I do not pursue grand professional ambitions. My focus is singular: to perform every task with the highest possible quality. Each well-executed work becomes a new standard, higher than the previous one. This dedication to quality serves as the foundation for any professional growth. As a parent, I understand that the baton must eventually be passed to the children — and it should be passed with a strong, quality-based foundation.

A common misconception is that luck or inheritance are the only prerequisites for success. While these factors provide a head start, discipline and perseverance offer equally strong chances. And regarding empty victories — can a genuine victory be empty? Anything achieved with effort has inherent value. If it is not genuine, then it is merely a documented deception — acceptable for some, but incompatible with my system.

The topic of legacy is intriguing. A legacy can be cherished or discarded. I acknowledge the practical need to package my legacy as a product in advance:

- ensuring perfect order in documentation;

- obtaining expert evaluations for valuable collections;

- ensuring the benefactor’s name becomes recognized through professional work.

A material legacy becomes meaningful when supported by an intellectual one.

Public recognition may never arrive during one’s lifetime without a deliberate marketing step. I am uncertain whether such a move is worthwhile. Although I have two awards — the “Leader of National Business” medal and the “Labour Glory” Order — I notice that whenever I choose a new path, I effectively lose the leverage of past achievements. Awards belong to the past. The present is defined by quality.

My understanding of success changed after moving to Portugal. In Ukraine, I focused on raising my level to emphasize expertise. Now I do the same, but with a different purpose: my achievements are aimed at helping solve global problems.

If the continuous pursuit is self-improvement rather than success alone, it does not hinder the ability to enjoy the present moment. But if the pursuit is purely success-driven, one risks becoming a hostage to an unattained outcome. Ultimately, true self-realization is not limited by whether every specific ambition is achieved. Whether the ambition is broad or composed of smaller goals, personal growth inevitably leads to fulfillment.

🖋️ “Quality is the foundation on which success stops being a goal and becomes a natural consequence.”

— Anna Pivtorak Kostyuk

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