Redefining Success

In the current era of social and mass media, we are surrounded by representations of how almost everything should look. From the glorified ideals of what a productive day should look like, how our movement routine should be structured, through to what our physique should look like - the media cover it all. Among all of these representations and expectations of what we should be doing, it is no wonder that defining what we truly value is a challenge - and this extends to the concept of success. 

Mainstream success perpetuated by social and mass media often appears in an idealised form from landing the perfect job and creating wealth, to finding love and buying a house. In this way, mainstream success encapsulates highlight reels from our career and personal lives - creating pressures and us leaving limited space to reconsider how success may appear for us personally. Married to the love of your life, working your dream job being paid a tonne of coin, with two point-five perfect children, rocking three-inch heels and toned calves, while walking some kind of doodle dog right? We’ve all seen that. And we’re not about it. 

The truth is that success is not always visible externally. Sometimes success can occur beneath the surface. A positive mindset change, getting up earlier, or doing some mindful movement can still be forms of success, which all have value. Therefore, it's vital to reevaluate success as a multifaceted concept, extending beyond material, externally visible achievements. 

True success encompasses all achievements, whether big or small, from personal growth, meaningful relationships, a sense of purpose, and a commitment to the greater good. Success is a dynamic, personal journey, that emphasises the process, lessons learned, and growth, rather than a predetermined destination or societal expectations of what we should be achieving. After all, as sung by Miley Cyrus, it really is “all about the climb”. It is the journey of The Climb that is important, which is a result of our wins and losses, not about “what’s waiting on the other side."

We have the ability to set our own goals and define what success personally means to us. It is vital to keep these goals flexible, as contexts will evolve and change throughout our journeys, which should not be feared or considered to be ‘off track’. Ultimately, who knows where we will end up, and what if it is somewhere better than we had initially imagined? 

All of this leads us to why you should redefine your own version of success. Here’s the thing, there is always going to be someone doing more than you, just like there will always be someone out there doing less. 

It is easy to fall into a trap of comparison in such situations, leading us to question why we are not like someone else or why we are not living our dream life yet. Comparison, as said by Theodore Roosevelt, is indeed the "thief of joy". When we constantly measure our success against others and the highlight reels of the media, we are sabotaging our own potential for happiness and self-fulfilment. 

Each one of us is on a unique journey, surrounded by a distinct context of experiences, strengths, and weaknesses. Just as we cannot expect our failures to mirror those of others, we cannot expect our successes to be identical. Success is inherently personal, subjective, and intimately connected to one’s context and values. It can evolve from day to day, reflecting the changing priorities and aspirations we hold. 

We need to embrace this individuality and our smaller, everyday successes - as it is in these moments that we truly add value to our lives, contributing to our sense of happiness. It is time to define success as a reflection of our personal contexts, happiness, and contributions to the world. 

Success is not limited to what a well-lived, happy, fulfilled life looks like through the media - it is much bigger than that.