I found this podcast called the mindset mentor. It’s a goodie but one specific podcast was about what success looks like and it really got me thinking about my idea of what success is.
When I was growing up, I never had big dreams, in fact I wanted to be a cleaner because I liked cleaning my bedroom. It was normal to finish school, get a job (or continue education), get married, have a family, struggle financially but get by, live for that one big holiday every year, wish the years away for retirement because you probably hated your job. This is what I expected of my life because it was the norm.
Your success could look like
To earn a million before you are 30 To have a family and be a stay-at-home mum To be a tiktok star To be the best at what you do
The idea of a successful changes as you get older.
Through my 20’s that changed to wanting to earn as much money as possible as I thought that that’s where happiness lies. The better phone, the better car, handbags, designer clothes.
In my 30’s and becoming a parent I started wanted a better quality of life. We moved to Australia from the North of England and that changed a lot for me. That is when I really started my health journey and changed my perspective on so many things. Sure, you need a certain amount of money to have a certain quality of life but my focus on what makes me happy changed and it wasn’t clothes, cars or anything materialistic. It was being at home, going for beach walks, drinking nice coffee, being with my family and finding passion in my work.
I saw this quote and it resonated with me so profoundly that its how I will strive to life my life.
LIVE A LIFE THAT YOU NEVER NEED TO TAKE A HOLIDAY FROM
Which also leads nicely into another one
FIND A JOB THAT NEVER FEELS LIKE WORK
These two things are what success looks like to me. The goal is happiness, a full life, to be content and have a life that is full of purpose. However, to achieve the above in not something that happens overnight and this is why this podcast helped me.
No matter what idea of a successful life looks like all the following points are relevant to help you get there. Some I already do but some I would love to focus on more in the future.
Here they are.
1. Take care of your body.
Feeling good, having energy and well rested is only going to be a good thing. You will see that successful people always work out, they eat nutritionally dense foods, they drink lots of water and they prioritise sleep. If you don’t do these things then in comes the sickness and eventually burnt out. It should be a non-negotiable.
2. Be productive not busy.
I love this one. Prioritise what is most important on your to do list. Ask yourself this question. Is what I am doing actually getting me closer to my goal?
Busy v’s productive are very different. We have these huge to do lists and we do the easy ones first convincing ourselves that its ok because we are busy but are they really productive?
3. Wake up early.
We hear a lot about these really complex morning routines. Its really not necessary. This is for you to have a little time to yourself. Just half an hour is enough. For a couple of years now I have got up at 5.30am, I go do 15 minutes of yoga, make a coffee and sit in my office and do a little of work in the quiet. Its usually something easy like write a post, blog or plan my diary. It’s a real game changer for how you set yourself up for the day.
4. Develop a good network
Get rid of the bad and nourish the good. I’m talking about people. Do they lift you up, do they make you feel good, do they want the best for you? Or they are jealous of you, do they hold you back. Surround yourself with like minded people. I think we could all try and phase a few people out of our lives.
5. Try to see failure as a stepping stone.
I think we are all a little guilty of not doing things because we are scared of failing, we don’t always admit it, even to ourselves. Failure is not failure until you completely give up. Instead, if we learn from that failure and get better is it even failure? Some of the most successful people in world failed a lot, Simon Cowell, Richard Branson. We only here about the successes! The same with your fave IG influencer, they have shit gym sessions, they just post the good ones.
6. Say no more than you say yes.
Hand’s up if you a people pleaser! How great would it be to say no to things? I would love to get better at this. We need to be smarter with our time and put our energy where it is needed not doing thing we do not want to do.
7. Constantly learn.
We never know everything. Always ask questions. Sometimes I feel like I know nothing about Nutrition, there is still so much to learn. Reading books, reading studies, listening to podcasts. The most successful CEO’s read 60 books a year! I must start reading.
8. Setting goals.
In a study done of Harvard students, 3% of them wrote down their goals in life. 10 years later they followed up those 3% were 97% more successful that the rest who didn’t write down their goals. So interesting.
Goals change all the time but writing them down, clearly where you can see it. Give yourself a deadline. Set small process goals as to how you will get there.
9. Make decisions
Being indecisive can really hold you back. I have to say I am good at this; my husband would say I am impulsive and I would say he never makes decisions. You have to take action to move forward.
10. Consistently test boundaries
Pushing past the comfort zones. This can be uncomfortable. Feeling the fear but then doing it anyway. If you consistency do this you then get a new comfortable. An example is public speaking – the first time is so scary but if you consistency to do it becomes easier.
I hope this helped you as it helped me. My biggest takeaway was actually really thinking about what my successful life looks like as seeing how its changed over the years. Also, goal setting will be a focus for me in the future, learning to say no more and being productive not busy.
