How to break free from the success myth
Even if we hit them - money, job title, recognition - they rarely deliver the happiness we expect. Deep down, we know this. But we get stuck anyway.
So, I’ve just had my birthday this week (🎉) and I don’t know about you, but those milestones have a way of making us reflect.
Am I where I thought I’d be by now?
What have I achieved that really matters?
Am I earning enough?
Do I have the house, the family, the career I pictured years ago?
Do people see me the way I hoped they would?
And as life ticks by, especially during big transitions like kids heading off to uni (yes, that’s happening in my house this weekend!), birthdays, career changes, redundancy, loss or even divorce - those questions in our mind can get louder.
I find when I start thinking like this, I am inclined to get defeatist, negative, ungrateful and even embittered. They don’t usually start a fire in my belly towards action and change. I just feel a bit useless and underwhelming. Why? Because these are the wrong metrics to measure life by.
Now, although all of these questions may have their place, the reason they are largely disempowering is because these are simply not the right metrics to be measuring our life by. Even if we hit them - money, job title, recognition - they rarely deliver the happiness we expect. Deep down, we know this. But we get stuck anyway.
Here are three reminders if you’ve been caught in the “success metric trap”, whether you’re crushing those measures and still feeling empty, or they’re crushing you.
This is NOT simply my personal opinion, it’s backed by research. When we define success by what’s in our control - our values, character, contribution - life satisfaction increases. Now, your purpose is unique to you - and that’s something worth figuring out. And when you live in alignment with your purpose and your values, when these are the priority metrics, your life satisfaction rockets.
Nor is parenting, status, or any single role you play. These can be expressions of purpose, but they’re not the whole story. When we tie our worth to career or roles, we set ourselves up for anxiety, emptiness, and burnout. Who you are goes deeper than what you do.
My life improved dramatically when I stopped letting the world - or anyone else for that matter - define success for me. I’m still a work in progress (believe me, with a course launch and a book coming soon, the external metric brigade is shouting loudly in my head right now!). But every day, I choose to ground myself in my definition of success - the one that lasts.
In this week’s podcast episode, I dive deeper into how purpose dismantles the “success myth,” and how you can start measuring your life by something more meaningful. As always, it’s full of stories, research, and tools you can use right away.
And if you’re ready for more than reflection - if you’re ready to act - then join me in The Purpose Pursuit. My proven 6-week programme is designed to help you step into a more purposeful, fulfilling life with clarity and confidence. Doors close this weekend.
Take a brave step to trust yourself, and me, to help guide you into your next season of true fulfillment.
With love,
Hannah x
P.S. Have you got questions about The Purpose Pursuit? Just hit reply - I’d love to hear from you. But don’t wait too long, doors close this weekend, and I don’t know when we’ll next run it.