How Women Define Success

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More than ever, women believe having both a successful career and family life is attainable, new research shows.

A study by Citi and LinkedIn revealed that 96 percent of women think they can "have it all" when it comes to careers, financial security and relationships.

Overall, the study found that the top two things women must have to consider themselves successful are being in a loving relationship and having enough money to do what they want. Raising healthy and happy kids is also a critical piece of being successful, the research shows.

When it comes to their career, only 17 percent of the women surveyed think reaching the height of success in their field is a factor in their assessment of "having it all." The majority of those surveyed consider themselves successful when they have a job they enjoy and an employer that values their work. For 15 percent of women, success is defined as being their own boss.

“These results reinforce how women's definitions of success have evolved beyond a one-size-fits-all ideal,” said Linda Descano, managing director and head of digital partnerships, content and social for Citi.

The research shows that the definition of career success changes for women over time. Those women surveyed under age 35 were more than twice as likely than those over 35 to equate "having it all" with reaching the top of the corporate ladder in their field, while older employees were more than twice as likely as their younger peers to equate it with being their own boss.

Work-life balance, career advancement opportunities and finding time to network are the top three concerns for women in the workplace, the study found.

The research also discovered that for working women, paying off student loans, saving for retirement, credit card debt and paying for their children's' needs and education were their top of financial worries.

Gone are the days where all women place a priority on getting married and having kids. The study found that 36 percent of the women said they don't think they need to be married in order to "have it all."

The study was based on surveys of more than 500 women LinkedIn members.

This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow Chad Brooks on Twitter @cbrooks76 or BusinessNewsDaily @BNDarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+.