By Dr. Rebecca Hubbard
We often find ourselves intrigued by articles and posts that describe the habits of successful people. It’s a valuable practice to reflect on the origins of your definition of success and assess whether you’re actively living in alignment with it. While accumulating wealth is undeniably important for obtaining many things we associate with success, being mindful of your own definition of success and how you achieve it can help you feel less like a passive consumer of societal pressures and more like an active participant in your journey. Defining success on your terms is a powerful, liberating tool. To move beyond autopilot while thinking about success, we can broaden our perspective in four ways.
Explore Additional Outcomes
The definition of success is “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose” (Oxford Languages). This means that success is determined by the goal you set for yourself. The first step toward achieving true success is to ensure your goals align with your values and authentic desires. Take time to consider all aspects that contribute to a fulfilling life. Consider your health, personal relationships, mental well-being and sense of purpose, to name just a few. As you envision your future, try engaging all five senses to create a vivid, meaningful picture of success. Rather than focusing solely on what it looks like, imagine how it feels, who’s there with you and the sounds and smells that define a successful life. Activating the five senses can make it easier to uncover why health and relationships are just as important as financial success, maybe even more so. When we broaden our outcomes to include all parts of ourselves, our success is more likely to feel fulfilling.
