I have felt out of alignment a lot lately with how I'm defining success. If you feel the same, then you are in the right place to explore what it means to you, too.
In my work as an executive advisor and coach, we teach that what we measure leads to our actions.
Workplaces are officially operating with a post-pandemic mindset and pushing for more. This has me feeling out of whack as I try to redefine for myself what my home and work balance looks like and perform on par with what is needed out of me at work.
At least in America, we tend to push for more, more, more. I share with colleagues all the time that there will always be more than they can accomplish and so learning to prioritize with your team is a necessary skill to survival. But as I reassess, I am wondering if this whole idea of more is actually my problem.
It is too easy to look at what others are doing and try to emulate it. To push, push, and push some more to achieve an idea of success that doesn't necessarily feel in line with your own.
I was struck this morning seeing that quarterback Tom Brady had posted this Ralph Waldo Emerson quote about success. I have read this 100 times in my life but it speaks to me differently today as I am pondering these questions for myself.
It states:
What is success? To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a health child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!
I have been writing for eight years as I navigate truths for myself. I can't state for certain I know how to define success for myself yet, but if I had to find it in someone else's writing, I think Emerson stated it well.
I will continue seeking language to define the goals and how I want to measure going forward. I will be more in touch with how I feel and learning how to seek a feeling of success through being present and focused on the outcomes.
Journal prompt: How are you redefining success for yourself?
❤️☀️