Do you ever get caught up in the thought that you could be more successful? Like you should be doing more?
You see your friends curating the heck out of their life to make it look always amazing on social media. You hear about co-workers being offered a great new position. You see your neighbor driving a new car.
Ugg! It’s a sure way to make a person feel less than successful that’s for sure.
But, in what ways can you see success in yourself?
What one person sees as success is failure for another, right? Or it very likely could be.
Working a corporate job, 40 hrs/week and dressed in heels might sound great to a lot of people. Just like going for an 8am run, working in your comfy clothes, and calling it quits at 4:30 pm each day (except Friday because that’s your day off) is success to others.
And, of course both of these scenarios can seem like sparkles and unicorns to someone from the outside when in fact they’re nothing like that in reality. Thinking of success in this way makes it way too easy, way too black and white. So I’m asking. Can you dig deeper to decide what success really means to you?
How is your definition of success different from your BFF’s? Your parents? Your significant other’s or sibling’s? Go ahead and ask them what success means or looks like to them. Can you see the subtle differences there?
Maybe it’s your salary or how much you volunteer at your kid’s school that equates with success. What are your personal benchmarks for success?
It can be helpful to think about success in a very fundamental way first. Are your basic needs met? —Food, clothing, shelter, etc?
Then ask what have you done in life that you’re proud of?
I know you may be humble, and this may be hard to remember. And if you’re having a particularly rough day, it might be even harder to remember. If this is the case, go ask your friends or significant other as they may surprise you with what they remember (and were impressed with).
Maybe it was saving to buy a car, paying off your school loans, or graduating from college. Maybe it was that time you decided to take a leap of faith and start your own business.
This all brings it into focus. Success is subjective. The cool part is that YOU get to decide what it means.What are your personal measures of success? How do you define success for you?
The clearer you get on this definition of success, the easier it is to know when you’ve achieved it.
I’d love to hear what you define as success. Would you please share with me here?
With much love and gratitude,
Speak Your Mind