Permission to Redefine Success

I received an email from a former colleague recently. He's a high-level leader who just made a job change, more of a lateral move than an upward climb.

He was quick to list out his rationale, citing benefits to his family. Closer to this child, within driving distance of something he and his wife love. He even made a comment about stepping off the path of success.

How funny. My reaction was the complete opposite.

I quickly wrote back, congratulating him that he had finally landed on the definition of true success. Balance. Family. Joy. A great home with all the things that matter, while being fortunate enough to have work that he enjoys.

Too often, our definition of success is based on something we were told in our early years, something handed to us before we knew ourselves well enough to question it. I remember a manager telling me I was only successful if I made more money than the year before. As a salesperson, that really kept me on my toes for many years. The fear of making less, of putting a dent in my shiny armor.

It took me a long time, and honestly it's still a work in progress, to redefine what success means to me.

I've had an incredibly successful year. Creating infrastructure, working with a new partner, embracing change, modernizing systems, welcoming new clients, putting myself out there, doing work that I love, helping leaders grow and transform.

That's success.

What if you gave yourself permission to redefine it too?