Say this mantra with me: “I judge my success by my own standards. Outside influences rarely determine my success because it is driven by my standards.” Measuring personal success is an important aspect of personal growth and development. It allows us to evaluate our progress and determine if we are achieving our goals. Society may try to tie us to certain standards of success, but it’s imperative that we don’t assign ourselves to these measurements. When we judge our achievements or progress based on others opinions or ideals, we are setting ourselves up for unhappiness and feeling unfulfilled, left behind, or incompetent. However, you must first consider what truly matters to you, and what kind of person you want to be.
Set SMART Goals
If you’ve been following my blogs, you know how important setting SMART goals are. SMART goals provide a clear framework for measuring success as they are specific and measurable, making it easier to determine if they have been achieved or not. Start by identifying your values and what you want to achieve in life. As you are setting your goals, make sure that they are aligned with your values and what you want to achieve. Think about what success looks like for you and create a roadmap for how to get there. It’s important to be realistic about what you can achieve, while also pushing yourself outside your comfort zone.
Seek Inspiration
Another helpful tool is seeking inspiration from others. Look for people who you admire, and think about what qualities and achievements make them successful in your eyes. The experiences of others sometimes serve as teaching tools and can let us know if we are on the right track. Use this as motivation to strive towards your own definition of success.
Ultimately, arriving at the standard for success that you set for yourself requires a deep understanding of yourself and your values, coupled with specific, achievable goals that are aligned with your vision of success. It may take some trial and error, but with perseverance and self-reflection, you can arrive at a clear and meaningful standard of success for yourself.
However, I would be remiss if I didn’t also point out how to know if your measure for success needs to be adjusted. Remember, this is a journey of trial and error, and we must always be flexible enough to know when we need to experiment with something new. Here are some signs that you need to adjust your standards or goals.
You are Consistently Not Achieving Your Goals
If you find that you are repeatedly falling short of your goals, it may be time to re-evaluate your approach. Notice we are emphasizing re-evaluating your approach and not giving up. However, this step can involve adjusting your goals to be more realistic or breaking them down into smaller, more achievable steps.
Your Priorities or Values Have Changed
As we go through life, it is not uncommon for our priorities and values to shift. If you find that what was once important to you no longer holds the same significance, it may be time to adjust your goals or standards to reflect this new reality.
You Feel Stuck or Unfulfilled
If you find yourself feeling stuck or unfulfilled despite achieving your goals, it may be time to readjust your standards and goals to ensure that they are truly aligned with your values and what you want to achieve. Remember that adjusting your standards does not mean giving up or admitting defeat. Instead, it is an opportunity to reflect, reassess, and recommit to achieving success on your own terms.
Personal success can be measured when we take the time to self-reflect on personal values, beliefs, and goals and determine if they align with our actions and behaviors. Let’s commit ourselves to remaining focused on our internal standards for success and definitively decide which goals we want to pursue. We will all focus on living an authentic life that we can confidently stand behind.
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