What Does Success Mean to You?
Most people don’t actually define success for themselves.
We inherit it.
We picture more money, bigger homes, luxury goods, fast cars…
But as many celebrities know, having those things is not a substitute for good mental health.
For mind-body wellness.
For meaningful relationships.
Our brains often have a distorted view of happiness, which is no surprise given all the ads we see.
I recently found out we’re exposed to 4,000-10,000 ads a day! 🤯
Billboards, subway posters, blimps, hats, soda cans… the list goes on.
We’re constantly shown versions of success that are designed to sell us something. We’re led to believe we’ll acquire a feeling… happiness.
But in reality, we just end up with more stuff and smaller bank accounts.
I’m not saying you can’t enjoy material goods or 5-star experiences.
What I am saying is that it can be surprisingly radical to sit down and define YOUR version of success.
I can almost guarantee that your soul-aligned version of success will be completely different from what you see on TV or hear from your favorite influencer.
In January I had a tête-à-tête with my AI bot (I know, I want to roll my eyes too 😅).
It helped me outline my genuine success markers for this year. Take a look:
- I finish work earlier
- I have time to move, read, and live
- I am writing my books again
- I feel less fragmented and more self-trusting
That’s it.
None of these have anything to do with looking successful.
They have everything to do with feeling aligned.
When I get honest with myself, what makes me feel the most free is when I’m living life and doing things outside my business.
This might be surprising to those of you who’ve been with me for a while, because I LOVE my business. I love waking up and getting to work. Creating new projects. Meeting with clients. Tweaking my website. Networking with peers. These things energize me.
And, my life is most fulfilling when I also get to do stuff that I don’t get paid for.
Read. Meditate. Walk my dog. See friends and family. Travel. Eat good food. Take a bath. Get a massage. Binge watch Bridgerton.
Give yourself the gift of being honest with yourself. What do you actually value? And more importantly — are you living in a way that reflects it?
If you’re not sure, my Core Values Assessment can help. If you sit down to journal and feel stuck — unsure what you value or how to let those values guide your next steps — this is a simple process that I’ve been using with clients for over 13 years.