Today I’m excited to be launching this new blog on OneStepOutside.com, intended to support you in defining what ‘success’ looks like for you in different areas of your life – and helping you take that ONE STEP towards achieving it.
The dictionary definition of success is ‘the achievement of an aim or a purpose’. But often we haven’t taken the time to define what that aim or purpose is! We’ve inherited an implicit definition – from our parents, our teachers, our peers, or society as a whole – and that definition may or may not be meaningful to us. As long as there is a disconnect between what we’re working towards and what’s actually important to us, whatever success we achieve will never bring us real fulfilment.
Defining what success looks like is an individual process based on your personal values, strengths and desires. But it’s bound to be much broader than the traditional ‘American dream’ type of definition that’s focused solely on career success, a prestigious job title, a good salary, the big house, snazzy car…
I’ve found that there are five key areas that you’ll want to consider:
- LIVE – Maintaining your health and wellbeing is about eating nutritious meals, being outdoors, getting enough exercise; as well as things like meditation, relaxation, and looking after your mental health as much as your physical health. This is the foundation that makes everything else in your life possible.
- LOVE – Relationships are at the core of your well-being and happiness, whether you’re talking about romantic love, friendships or family bonds. Nourishing those relationships is important for your sense of belonging and for getting (and giving) affection, and some would argue that this is the biggest priority in any life.
- LEARN – I’m a big believer in life-long learning and the growth that comes from pushing yourself and stepping out of your comfort zone. Being always curious, open-minded and eager to learn will ensure that you continue to develop as a person and that you stay competitive and relevant from a professional perspective as well.
- LEAD – Achieving your professional goals remains a key element of success, but it’s more about having a real impact and leaving a legacy than simply getting that prestigious job title and salary. Finding work that matches your skills and strengths, that creates meaningful results and that you enjoy doing will help you to thrive and deliver your best work – and have fun while you’re doing it!
- LAUGH – Finally, what is life without laughter, and having fun – via social activities, hobbies or just plain spontaneous craziness – is as important as any of those other more serious goals. Sometimes we just need time off, putting aside our goals, taking a break from pushing ourselves, finding that inner child and having a good old play!
As part of this new blog, I’ll be interviewing experts in different areas – relationship coaches, nutritional experts, money coaches – and bringing you all sorts of insights and helpful tips to help you achieve what you want from each of these areas.
