We are all trying to succeed in one way or another. Everywhere you look on social media, people are hustling, doing everything they can to gather an audience and create a business around them.
But, have you ever stopped and wondered: what does success mean to you?
I’m not saying everyone is wrong, and I only have the one true meaning. That would be insanely arrogant. No, what I mean is, have you taken the time to define your personal success?
Out there you are constantly bombarded with a ton of different measures of success, money, possessions, a certain amount of followers or customers, traveling, etc. But, do you want all that?
All those entrepreneurs, athletes and celebrities are pushing out their curated lives out there, showcasing the very best of what they enjoy, it’s easy to get caught on the idea that success equals whatever they are showing.
And, you know, it’s ok to follow people you admire.
I follow people who show in their social media posts, things I would like to achieve or that I enjoy looking at. But that doesn’t mean that success means I want their lives.
So, have you asked yourself: What kind of life do you want?
For example, I follow a ton of entrepreneurs that define themselves as digital nomads, but I don’t want to be a digital nomad myself. I love traveling and having adventures, but I need a place to call home to feel successful.
Other people I follow have huge businesses and big teams to manage everything for them, but I don’t like the idea of dealing with employees, I prefer to be a one-man business, and enjoy doing so.
And, it’s ok if you don’t agree with my ideas, that’s the whole point, for you to have a clear vision of what success means to you.
But, why should you do this?
The answer is simple: By trimming all the fat, it will be easier for you to focus on what truly matters to you.
Expanding my examples from above, instead of trying to figure out how to work from the road and still achieve a reasonable level of service, I can focus my energy on planning the adventures I want to have and avoid taking work with me on the road.
For me, that would be better as I can entirely focus on the adventure, and not have to think about the work I need to do or if I will have internet where I’m staying.
I also don’t need to think about hiring people. Instead, I just need to think about ways to optimize my work and offer more value to my existing clients. Instead, I focus on automating my processes to achieve my goals.
The same thing can work for you, instead of focusing on vanity metrics or all those things that are not as important, you can focus on building your life just the way you want it.
So, how can you clarify your vision of success?
First of all, you need to make a list of all the things that you consider successful and to define where they come from. Some of the items on that list will be yours, but others will come from all the different people you follow.
Now, this is not to say that you should just get rid of anything that came from other people. You should consider each item regardless of where they come from and why you think each of them appropriate for you or not.
Your list can be huge, mine was when I first decided to do this exercise, and you may need more time to distill it, it’s ok, you can take all the time you need.
If an item doesn’t feel like it belongs in your life, be grateful that you are freeing yourself from that goal; then move on to the next one.
If the item feels like it fits your goals, then create a small practice that will bring you closer to it. It doesn’t need to be anything huge, just focus on one simple action you can take that will bring you closer to it.
By linking an action to each item, you will soon find yourself with a list of practices that you can follow. This will work as your compass, as long as you follow them you will take steps in the direction of your definition of success.
And soon you will see that your life will be more aligned with your values, and who knows, maybe you will be the one sharing your definition of success with the rest of the world.