4 Ways To Measure Your Success That Have Nothing To Do With Money
We often associate the idea of success with financial gain. If we’re making money, we are successful. If we have a growing bank account, we’re doing pretty well in life. Yet, the idea of earning money isn’t the only way to define your success.
Success is a fluctuating scale, changing each and every moment that you pursue and follow your professional goals. It is a concept that shifts and alters shape, looking different from one day to the next.
So, success isn’t just about money. In fact, it has little to do with it. We make money to survive, to grow and to change our lives for the better. Yet, success extends outside of monetary gain. At the root, success is about personal growth, achievements and internal satisfaction.
It’s time to step out from behind the money making machine and view your accomplishments in a new light. Here are 4 ways to measure your success that have nothing to do with money.
Analyze Your Personal Style & How It Has Changed
First, to really understand your success in the professional world – you need to analyze and assess your work. Take a look at who you were a year ago. It’s safe to say that you will notice some small or even major differences in what you were doing and creating.
The changes you have made over time were probably never noticeable to you. This is because change and growth come in small waves. So, we hardly notice the growth we are achieving on a day to day basis. It is not until we take a look back and analyze that we are able to see that we have altered ourselves over time.
Maybe, last year your work was a bit scattered and lacking a cohesive process. This year, you have found a more developed style. Your work flows together seamlessly and you now have a recognizable and signature mark. This piecing together of your creative vision allowed you to gain success in a simple and effective way.
Analyzing your personal style and seeing a definitive change is a measure of your abilities in relation to your overall success.
Take A Look At The People Around You
Another way to measure your success is through the company you keep and the network you have created. Whether we want to admit it or not, who we spend time with is a direct reflection of who we are and what we care about. The people in our lives have not only a personal effect on our mental state, but also play a role in our professional lives.
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As we looked back on our style of last year, let’s think about who we spent time with. Let’s say you had toxic friendships or business partners that never understood your vision – you were most likely feeling as if you were being held back from achieving your full potential.
Yet, this year you have refreshed your personal circle. You found friends who are following a similar path and lifestyle. They are hardworking, dedicated and passionate about their work. And, they support you in the work you create and share with them.
Plus, you have found a mentor that wants to help you with your career. You began networking and found people that have led to new opportunities and personal connections that make you feel confident and happy in your life.
Taking a look at the people around you and realizing you have developed a creative and supportive circle of trust is a measure of your success. Finding and developing beneficial relationships is actually a challenge that we often omit from our discussions.
Yet, it is so important for growth to have quality people in your life. If you feel like the people in your life want nothing but the absolute best for you and support your professional work, you have reached a level of success.
Make A List Of The Goals You Have Accomplished
One way that you can consistently measure your success is by creating a list of goals to be accomplished. You can do this monthly, yearly or even daily if you’re feeling really inspired.
When making a list of goals and reviewing them – you can physically check off and mark the things you have completed. If this isn’t a direct measurement of success, then I’m not sure what is.
In fact, these goals should be personal and professional benchmarks that you hope to reach and specific actions that you want to take to achieve them. Make them measurable and quantifiable by setting dates for completion. Write down goals like:
- I want to have 4 new clients by the end of the year
- I want to attend 3 networking events this month
- I want to grow my social following by 1,000
If you can make a list of goals and see yourself checking them off as they are completed – you are measuring your own success. This is the perfect way for you to stay motivated, on track and see how your efforts are yielding beneficial results.
Reflect On The Person You Were & Who You Are Right Now
The final way that you can measure your success is to reflect on your past self. In this case, we aren’t talking about professional growth, but more about our personal adjustments and change.
Maybe, you have struggled with stress or self-doubt. Yet, now you have figured out how to manage expectations and feel confident in your work. Or, maybe you used to be less engaged and tied up in your technology. But, now you balance your social and personal time effectively.
Seeing these minor changes in your personal behavior is a measure of your success and growth as an individual. In this way, you are performing a personal audit of who you used to be and who you are now. If we know that we want to change and we are able to achieve this – we are successful.
Success isn’t always a form of professional measurement. It can apply to the way we think, act and behave in our day to day lives and relationships. If you are growing as an individual, this is the success that will drive you forward in every aspect of your life.
So, assessing your success isn’t just about money. If we take a look at our personal style, the people around us, the goals we have achieved and who we have become – we can assess the changes we have gone through and the growth that came from this. In all, the success we achieve is a spectrum of personal and professional acts that show us we can constantly evolve to become better, kinder and more creative individuals.
