How do you define success?

Have you ever felt like a hamster on a wheel?

You know that feeling of running at a million miles an hour only to realise that you’re not really getting anywhere fast? Possibly not even getting anywhere at all!

The biggest irony is that you’ll more than likely be hitting deadlines, smashing targets and achieving goals, so, you should feel like you’re succeeding, right?

Yet, for many, the exact opposite can feel much closer to the truth.

And, that truth can be seriously confronting.

If you’re not careful, the notion of ‘achieving success’ can become like an obsessive quest to find the elusive holy grail.

In fact, it can be enough to make you question your approach to life, leadership and performance.

If you’re currently feeling like you’re running out of the energy you need to keep up with the speed of success, it might be time to step back and ask;

How do I really define success?

What does success really look like?

What does success really feel like?

How will I know I am truly succeeding?

Try not to fall into the trap of coming up with the same old goals and measures that have brought you to exactly where you are now, but consider new ways that you could choose to redefine success, for yourself.

It might feel challenging initially, yet over time as you reflect more deeply, you’ll notice more powerful goals, drivers and intentions emerge and begin to take shape.

Yvonne Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, said in his Netflix film 30 Degrees South

“Who gives a shit what the holy grail is. That’s not important. It’s the quest that’s important.

It’s the transformation that’s within yourself. That’s what’s important.

The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life. It’s so easy to make it complex. What’s important is not leading a complex life but leading a well-examined life.

And mastery is to work towards simplicity…..”

The problem many of us face on our life, leadership and performance journey is that we need to feel the sting of complexity before we come back to the idea of simplicity.

And yet our most important quest, the quest of mastery, demands simplicity.

Who are we to refuse the call?

What are you doing to simplify your life?

Would that make you feel masterful and more successful?