Struggling with feeling as if success has actually happened.
Struggling to enjoy the achievement without immediately seeking out the next way to top it.
Sound familiar?
In the world of oversharing, humble bragging and highlighting of highlights how do you know- what is success? Is trying to answer this question the “to be or not to be” of our generation? Maybe this feeling of never actually ‘arriving’ is the ‘curse’ of the American dream. After all this is a place where anything happen. So why stop reaching?
Wondering if I have been successful is something I’ve been working through the past couple of months. It’s a struggle I’ve been mildly resentful of as, personally, life is in one of the happiest and most content places I’ve ever had. Professionally, it’s exciting and stressful. I just started my own business in January and am experiencing the euphoric highs and self-induced stress/paranoia that comes with “you’re in charge” factor (can I get an ‘amen’ from my fellow business owners on this??).
The other day, I realized was over feeling this nagging sense of underperforming. I poured myself a cup of coffee, sat down and wrote out what I’d consider major life and career accomplishments. In taking the time to sit down and physically see them all lined up, I realized I’ve achieved things of which one of them would have knocked my socks off when I was kid.
That is when I decided enough is enough.
America is ranked #17 worldwide for happiness. Americans work more than anyone in the industrialized world. In the past year, 115 million Americans report having dealt with significant stress. That’s nuts.
Sure, some of these stats are a result of the economy but long before the recession hit, Americans were known for taking pride in how hard and how often they work... ask yourself how often you sigh how busy you are as a response to someone asking what you’ve been up to. How often do you look at someone’s (filtered in more ways than one) photos on Instagram and struggle to dismiss the thought they are doing it better than you? How often do you doubt your instincts when it comes to the business you created after you’ve spent some time looking at the choices other people have made?
Why are we always feeling what we have done is not enough?
This must stop, ‘Merica. I’m calling a halt and I’m shouting out a reminder:
Successes of others do not take away from the successes of your own.
From here on out, I will take the time to enjoy a success without letting that little voice in the back of my head try to figure out how to leverage it into a bigger success. When someone asks me how I am, even if I am busy, I will take the time to genuinely connect and share what I’ve been doing with my time. I will consciously focus on and remember to be deeply appreciative of the successes that matter; my relationships, how I do unto others as I would have done unto me and how I love and am loved in return.
Want to come along?
"Why are we always feeling what we have done is not enough?"