WELCOME TO DAY 25

IDENTIFYING SUCCESS

Success in life means something different to everyone. Hitting a specific amount in revenue, having a certain number of employees, owning a home, purchasing a dream car, having a certain amount of money in the bank, providing for their family, staying at only five-star hotels or even just accomplishing their big dream are just a few ways people define success. To get there, successful women typically start with a vision for their life. They set goals and work toward achieving them. They know what they want to accomplish and have created a plan. Tirelessly, they work the plan to achieve success. Still, there are many have never envisioned what success looks like.

Success is the process. A journey. It’s the way you feel and the energy that is created on your way to whatever your goal may be. It’s you, striving for something.

REASONS TO CELEBRATE SUCCESS

TO LEARN AND ADAPT

To recognize what’s working well and why, and if there’s is something you can take from it to inspire or replicate in other actions and goals. So basically you can do more of it.

DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL MINDSET

Whatever we want to change, achieve or have more of – be it money, health, fitness, romance, happiness – success lies at the heart of it. A large part of success is about your state of mind – so it’s about having a success mindset. And this success mindset requires cultivation.

Focus on what you’ve accomplished, rather than a long overwhelming list of what you’ve still got to do. Celebrate every success, no matter how small the win, to cultivate your success mindset. By telling yourself ‘I am successful’ or ‘I can succeed because I’ve succeeded before’ you build up your self-belief and success attitude.

Conversely by not noticing or downplaying your success, or thinking it’s down to luck or others, you may be telling yourself you haven’t done enough to be proud of, or you don’t deserve to celebrate. Whereas when you notice and celebrate your successes you then start to see yourself as someone who is successful rather than someone who’s trying to become successful.

MOTIVATION

Motivation is also connected to mindset – because we are motivated by our successes. So give yourself as many opportunities to be successful as you can. Notice the small wins along the way. If you break your goals down into milestones, actions, and trigger actions, each give you the chance to mark up a success and reinforce the changes you’re making.

FEELING GOOD

One of the best reasons to celebrate success is simply that it feels good. Feeling good is what it’s all about after all, isn’t it? We’re driven to make changes in our lives because we want to feel better, be happier and feel good.

Or as Esther Hicks puts it, ‘There’s nothing more important than that you feel good’.

HAPPY CHEMICALS

There’s a reason why it feels good when we celebrate success and it’s to do with the neurohappy chemicals in our brain. Dopamine is released into our brain when we anticipate achieving something or we achieve it – and it feels good, so we want more of it. We also get it from not such healthy pursuits, so why not build lots of opportunities for that dopamine rush into what we do, like setting small goals so we have lots of chances to celebrate success.

SHARING SUCCESS

Celebrating success isn’t necessarily just about you. It might be, but it can also give others the chance to join in with your celebration, be motivated and have a share in your success. And a good point to remember is you have to recognise your own success if you want other people to as well. How you do it is up to you – but just do it and have some fun.

5 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER ABOUT SUCCESS

Success is something we’re all striving for at a basic human level. We need to be safe and fed, which is ultimately a huge driving factor in our desire for money as it provides a level of both of those needs. We also need love and accomplishment or acceptance, which can also be influenced in part by money. It’s for exactly that reason you should really ask yourself what success means beyond just money to guide yourself toward true success as an woman.

HOW MUCH MONEY DOES SUCCESS MEAN?

Of course you want to make money. We all do. No one would fault you for wanting to define a component of success with money, but what does that mean for you? It’s OK to ask this question annually to see how your definition of success can change, but never sacrifice the other components of your vision at the altar of profits alone. Define what level of freedom and comfort you are happy to live your life at, and what this means for your money and income flow.

WHAT SORT OF RELATIONSHIP DOES SUCCESS MEAN?

If love is one of the basic human needs we all need, then what part of your successful life will include time for relationships. Remember this isn’t just about a spouse or partner, but also friends, family and other important relationships in your life. Fostering authentic, supportive loving relationships takes time. As an woman, you may think that making money and working on your career trumps all else, and in some respects when you’re starting out that will be true. However, you need to be sure to get this part of your life in check after you’re operating or lose it by the wayside. Loving, trusting relationships with key people in your life will lead to a happier, more successful life. Decide how you want to carve out time to invest in this aspect of your success now, then take action.

HOW MUCH FLEXIBILITY DOES SUCCESS MEAN?

Some people will leave behind the corporate world for the flexibility of entrepreneurship, only to find they’re working longer and harder than they’ve ever worked in their lives. Entrepreneurship is a challenging journey. This can be particularly true in the early years of getting your business off the ground. As you grow and your business scales, you are going to have more time to pick and choose your day. Alternatively, you can focus all your energy on your career and building the dream for somebody else, but sacrificing your freedom and time for them. Do you want a lot of time in the office, or are you seeking the Tim Ferriss dream of working four hours a week remotely? The kind of schedule you want will dictate the type of career you pursue and have a large impact on your success.

HOW HEALTHY DOES SUCCESS MEAN?

How successful will you really be if you’re sick or unhealthy? You have to decide now and build into your life what lever of wellness you want to be a part of your total success. Make the commitment now to decide what kind of food you want to eat and what kind of movement you want to incorporate into your day, then commit to that routine. Success isn’t a destination, and neither is your health.

WHAT VISION HAVE I CREATED AROUND SUCCESS?

If you’re only about profit, then the how of your bottom line won’t be very important to your vision. However, if you have strong beliefs about the vision you want to create, think about that being incorporated into your success now. Take into account the way success feels for you, looks like or tastes like and envision this in great detail.

How will you define your vision and act toward it daily to reach true, self-defined success?