You're allowed to change your definition of success
In issue #016, I wrote about growing in your career without climbing the ladder. Today, I want to tackle a related topic: how to define what "good" looks like in your career.
This came up in my work with a mid-career leader over the summer. Their career path had been fairly linear, but they had started to detach from the idea that success should be a specific job title or other form of external recognition.
Through our conversation, we found that they actually wanted a greater sense of control and fulfillment in their work. So they chose new success metrics for this chapter of their career: (1) less screen time and (2) more completed projects.
That got me thinking about how many different shapes “success” can actually take once you stop defaulting to title and salary. It could be things like:
- Being able to dip out of the office at 5pm on the dot
- Expanding your view of the world by working with global organizations
- Finding a team who accepts and values you for who you are
Many of us are still measuring ourselves against a definition we picked up early, often without choosing it on purpose: a parent’s expectations, a first boss’s approval, or a comparison through social media. That definition might still fit… or it might just be the one that was easiest to inherit at the time.
You’re allowed to update it. You’re also allowed to recognize it was never yours to begin with.
For those questioning what success truly looks like, consider this:
If you strip away your title and your salary, would you still be able to tell whether you’re doing well?
