People often tell me that success is what they want most in life. When defining what exactly success means to them, I usually receive an awesome list of life goals: be healthy, land that promotion, travel to another country. It got me thinking on my own definition of success.
Through my reflections, something surprised me. I used to think success could only be felt once I arrived at my destination. Yet, time and time again, I found myself doing things that seemed to actively undermine my own achievements. Huh?!
Without being aware of it, I was prioritizing the WAY I achieved goals over the result. 60k a year wasn’t worth it if my work didn't light up my spirit. Producing generic writing to get published didn’t offer the same satisfaction as my creative pieces. And I definitely wasn’t ready to call someone my life partner for the sake of checking a box.
I think on some level, all of us have experienced the friction between achievement and doing what feels right. Here are some ways to think about success in your life:
