How do you define success?
For many, “success” comes with a checklist – prestigious titles, high salaries, impressive accolades, growth metrics, maybe even a beachfront view. But is this vision truly your own? Or has it been inherited from society, family, or Instagram influencers?
Does the picture of success you have inspire you or serve as a tool for self-criticism?
Do you tell yourself you’re “not enough” as you compare yourself to where you “should” be?
Do you catch yourself thinking, “I’ll only feel happy and successful when…”? Saving success for a mythical day when you’re finally “there”?
What if success isn’t about getting “there” at all? What if it’s about aligning what you do with who you want to be right now?
A corporate leader’s journey
One of my clients, a high achieving corporate leader, was fixated on climbing the corporate ladder. To him, the right title seemed like the ultimate key to fulfillment. But after a couple of internal knock-backs, he felt a growing discontent. His wife suggested he look for a more senior role elsewhere. But he questioned if that would that really bring the satisfaction he craved.
We took a step back and redesigned what success looked like for him. He realised that while status and pay were appealing, they weren’t the drivers of his ambition. His true passion was making a meaningful impact in his community and spending quality time with family. And these weren’t worth sacrificing for a paycheck or title change. With this clarity, he ultimately found contentment in a lateral move – allowing him to focus on policy work and influence positive social change.
Redefining your own success
Below are some steps to rewrite your success story:
- Strip away the layers of expectations (internal and external). Reflect on whether you’re walking your own path or one that has been influenced by societal standards, family pressures, and social media. What goals truly belong to you?
- Get clear on YOUR vision. Think about what brings you peace, satisfaction and fulfillment. What does success actually look like for you? What do you want to experience and contribute? Is it making a difference to your community, achieving financial stability, or creating something new? Forget the conventional checklist – define success in a way that’s meaningful to you, and don’t settle for a definition that doesn’t fit.
- Envision your future self. Imagine yourself 10 years from now having already achieved this vision. What impact have you made? What qualities does this version of you embody? How do you show up in the world?
- Identify your values. What are the top 3-5 guiding principles that the future you prioritises in how they want to be in the world? Use these as a compass guiding your decisions towards a more fulfilling path.
- Embody your future self today. What small actions can you take to align with your future self? How would they view and approach today’s “setbacks” or areas you think you’re lacking? What would they seek to learn? Who would they collaborate with? Taking this perspective can transform obstacles into building blocks rather than breakdowns.
- Stay present and embrace the journey. Success isn’t about reaching a destination; it’s about being true to yourself in each moment and enjoying the process along the way. So avoid getting caught up in past regrets or fixating on future anxieties. Instead, focus on what you can appreciate and learn today, and what opportunities are in front of you.
True success, at its heart, is about authenticity. It’s not about fitting a mold or following a predefined path, but about creating a path that honours the vision and values that light you up.
So, what does your values-aligned contribution look like?
