What does success look like to you?

I talk about success a lot when I’m working with my clients. At first I find that some women try to avoid the word as for them it has associations with ruthlessness, of lusting after private jets and very visible consumerism. And while some may define success as acquiring wealth, prosperity and/or fame for many of us it is something very different.

For me success is living a life that reflects what’s important to me. A life where I can take care of my mental and physical health. Where I can live with integrity and feel economically secure. A life that feels balanced and gives me the freedom to focus on the people important to me. A life that allows me to be creative and feel like I am growing and developing and helping others to do the same.

That is my definition of success. What's yours?

What is it that you want from your life? From your relationship and family life? From your work? What do you want financially for yourself and your family? What do you want for your health? What do you want in terms of adventure and fun?

When was the last time you stopped and thought about any of this?

Often women come to me feeling that they’ve lost themselves along the way. Feeling like they’re spinning all the plates but making no progress on the things that are important to them. Feeling like they’ve lost that spark and just want to feel like them again!

Does this resonate?

I think most of us have been there at some point. I know that I had everything I said I wanted. I’d just spent almost a year securing the next move up the career ladder and within months knew I’d got it wrong. I was miserable, ashamed at not being satisfied with what I had and I knew that I needed to leave that job. But fear of what other people would think and what it would do to my finances and career kept me there until the decision ended up being taken out of my hands.

I hadn’t stopped long enough to reflect on what I really wanted. What success meant to me. I was on the career trajectory I had set myself on during my twenties and hadn’t stopped to consider whether that was still what I wanted. Whether that was still my definition of success.

I encourage my clients to stop and consider this question regularly. And I encourage you to do the same. Ask yourself what does success look like for me right now? This is about your life, your way. Not anyone else’s definition of happiness or success.

I speak of confidence, clarity and courage all of the time and this is an important part of the clarity work. I encourage you to take a little time this week to consider what success looks like to you and how near or far to it you are. What’s really important to you in life? Those values that you hold dearest should be at the centre of your life not the outer edges!

I hope you find this suggestion helpful. I have a free facebook group, Pathways to Possibilities where I share helpful hints and tips like this all of the time and do regular lives to help support you on your journey to confidence, clarity and courage. Click here to join the conversation.