Make More Money by Redefining Success
It’s the question every business owner wants answered.?
“What’s the secret to greater success?”
It doesn’t matter whether you're a fledgling freelancer or an experienced business owner, making six figures plus with a full support team, the truth is you want to know how to get to the next level.You want to be able to feel, taste and live success.
But what exactly does success mean?
If you ask most business owners, they’ll likely tell you that it means having more money and more security - yet, when they reach that point where sales are flowing and the bank account is full . . . they will report that they still don’t feel like they’ve reached success.
The reason is that with more success - aka growth -? comes more responsibility, pressure, time, demands and worry.?
Whatever you may have imagined success might look like before you got there, it definitely doesn’t look like your life right now.?
In fact, chances are you’re too busy to really enjoy your success. You still find yourself working too hard, saying yes to things that you don’t want to say yes to (while feeling resentful) and being pulled away from things you most love to do in your business.
Sound familiar?
Well the truth is that most business owners reach a point where they realize what got them to where they are now . . . isn’t going to get them to the next level . . . working non-stop, compromising on your health and giving up on things that are enjoyable isn’t going to work - but what can you do? There are too many balls in the air.
Well, the truth is that it’s tricky.
Yes, you have responsibilities. But, if what you’re doing doesn’t feel good . . . it might be time to redefine success in a way that starts to give back instead of always taking.
Now, I’m not saying redefining success means giving up money.?
No, quite the opposite. What I’m suggesting is that making money the way you are today isn't sustainable.
How You’re Currently Defining Success
As I mentioned, most business owners define success too narrowly . . . and mostly in terms of money.?
For some that definition is six figures, for others it’s seven and beyond. But the one thing I see over and over is that whatever else success may mean beyond money, remains gray and ill defined.
Which is one of the main reasons why entrepreneurs are amongst the most stressed, anxious bunch since the inception of the pandemic. According to a recent study done by Capital One, small business owners have felt the brunt of burnout and stress in an ever-stressed-out world.
The study found that even those who report generating profit:
And even though there is so much more talk about mindfulness and mindset, too many business owners still believe that success must come at a high price that includes self-sacrifice.
The Dangers of Groupthink on Your Definition of Success
Add to that the fact that most business owners now have an online presence and can hop on to see what their competitors and colleagues are doing on any given day.
This leads to “comparisonitis: and the notion that if everyone else is doing something - whether it’s a marketing, offers or business strategy - you have to too!
Which leads to a lot of groupthink when it comes to defining success.
Here are some common groupthink definitions that you might inadvertently be adopting:
“Success requires you to work hard (really hard).”
“Success requires you be involved in every part of your business.”
“Success means having a big list of subscribers or followers.”
“Success means making millions and millions.”
“Success means having a lot of praise.”
“Success means having a perfect track record.”
“Success requires you to be the #1 person in your niche.”
“Success requires you to say yes and give up on personal time.”
Just to name a few.
Equally devastating can be the definitions set by bro marketers and glam girl business owners that claim that you should only be working 3 hours per day and making at least $1M per year . . . and if you’re not, you’re doing it wrong.
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It can be confusing because our culture - especially Western culture - values giving up everything in the name of your business, your clients and your profits.?
It’s a message you’ve likely been receiving from the time you were born and you’ve inadvertently downloaded it to your brain (just like that last pdf you downloaded earlier today to your computer) and now it sits there dictating what you THINK success SHOULD mean.
But what if this is leading you further and further away from real success?
What if this is just leading you down a path of chasing money and never feeling fulfilled in what you build?
Defining Success on Your Terms
When clients come to me, the first thing I ask them is what is their vision for their business.?
And while most business owners would like to think they know, what I usually get is a vague definition followed by a to-do list of things they want to implement in the upcoming year.?
I then ask them how what they shared with me feels? And usually the answer is that it feels overwhelming.?
You see, the truth is that you’ve likely been taught to conflate the terms vision with goals. As a result, your business becomes as heavy as the job you once left without a clear understanding of where you’re actually going.
And ultimately, your definition of success suffers and becomes all about chasing money.
Which is why it’s so important that you begin to define success on your own terms. You see, success and your personal vision for your business are intertwined. They have to be inspiring and light you up so that on the hard days, you have the ability to move forward and follow a clear path.
This is especially true if your current definition is leading to burnout and dissatisfaction.
I recall reaching the point in my business both as an attorney and as a business strategist where I should have “felt” successful, yet I felt anything but.?
I may have felt secure financially, but I was never present for my children or my husband. I felt resentful toward my clients. I was sleeping horribly, had terrible acid reflux and gave up my workouts in favor of “getting an extra hour or two of work done”.?
Success felt like a hamster wheel.
That’s when I realized that I couldn’t keep going and needed to redefine what success really looked like for me. And it wasn’t as hard as it seemed.
I promise it won’t be for you either.
Here’s where you can begin:
1) Question what you know about success. Really look at whose definition are you following anyway. Is it your parents? Your colleagues? Your partner’s? The truth is nothing can change unless you start to ask the question, “Is this even my definition of success?”
2) Broaden your definition. It’s tempting to say that success is all about money, followers and praise. But go beyond that. What does your daily life look like as a successful person? What are the things you’ll be doing? Who are the people you’ll have in your life? And how will your business actually be structured??
Paint a broader picture of success and be willing to include other areas of your life such as health, entertainment, travel, environment, relationships, fun, self-care, etc.
As a small hint: don’t just write down freedom - define that too!
3) Begin with the end in mind. Stephen Covey said that. And when it comes to success, it’s important that you identify who you need to BE in order to be successful. All too often we hope that success will make us happy, fulfilled, powerful, a leader or smart.
BE those things first. Success means having that in your life today. And if you can’t be that now, your business will never afford you to be that because you’ll be so busy maintaining it.?
Decide who you need to be and start being that person today.
4) Keep your definition close. I challenge you to write down your definition of success. You may even want to capture it in images. But the truth is you have to connect with your definition so that you know when to say no, when to say yes, and when to move forward or hold back.
Keeping your definition close will keep you on track and help you crack your own code to success - because in reality, your code is the only one that truly matters!
Need more success strategies and mindset tips? Or help taking your business to the next level? Here are two ways you can learn more now!
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About the Author: Linda Perry: ?Linda a success strategist, speaker and recovering attorney who has helped hundreds of people crack their own success code and find greater freedom, make more money and find balance.
She spent 17 years as a federal criminal defense attorney in Chicago, and left only to to pursue her passion in coaching and business strategy after witnessing how much it impacted her life and helped her redefine success.?
With certifications from the esteemed Ford Institute, established by best selling author and teacher Debbie Ford, and from the Levin Life Coach Academy, where she is the lead business instructor guiding life coaches how to build a profitable life coach business -? Linda works with entrepreneurs, small business owners, attorneys, other professional service providers and creative entrepreneurs to help them build the business they truly love.
She is the host of the Mindset First Podcast and regularly is a guest speaker on a variety of podcast and stages focused on using mindset tools to get further.?
She currently live in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, dog and kids (when they’re home).
Clarity coaching, Brand Positioning, + Story Strategy for bold changemakers
2 年"Keeping your definition close" has been a lifesaver for me. It's easy to get distracted when it comes to your own definition of success.