A year and a half ago, I had a powerful coaching call with a client that left a lasting impression on me. They were feeling exhausted and unsuccessful despite doing amazing, impactful work.
As we unpacked this in the coaching session, it became clear their drive to achieve had been coming from a place of wanting to prove to the world and themselves that they were enough. Honestly, this realization hit home for me, too, because I, like many achievers, am often driven by a fear of not feeling like I’m enough.
As a result of our work together, we broke down success into two parts. The first part is achieving what we truly want, not what we think we should want or what others want us to do. The second part is how we show up while achieving those things. Are we coming from a place of fear and scarcity, wanting to prove we are enough? Or are we coming from a place of love, creativity, and playfulness?
For me, success is showing up as my best self with heartfelt intent, joy, and curiosity. It’s connecting with those I’m working with and the project I’m working on while also finding fun and playfulness in my work. Looking back on my day and feeling like I showed up authentically and achieved what I could within the constraints of the day is my definition of success.
Approaching achievement and success this way from the perspective of joyfulness and play will help you not only feel more fulfilled in the work you do but also help you achieve even greater things.
I encourage you to look at your drive to achieve and ask yourself if it’s sustainable and fulfilling. Are you achieving what you truly want and showing up authentically and joyfully while doing so?