I admit, I really didn’t feel like sitting down and writing this post. So why am I doing it? For one, it’s on this new content calendar I made for myself. I planned all of my blog posts until the end of March (!!!!), which makes actually creating content for this site a lot easier when you have a game plan. But that also means having to sit down and write the posts you planned on posting—even when you don’t feel like it. Especially one where I plan on writing about how to measure success, on a day that I don’t feel very successful. And then I realized…this is probably the exact kind of post I need to sit down and write today. Because I need some humbling—a reminder of why I do what I do. So let’s talk about measuring success.
This idea of measuring success came from a podcast I recently listened to, featuring Natalie Borton. She’s one of my favorite blogger and business owners, and her insight on content creation and sticking to your values have always stood out to me. On the podcast The Unburdened Leader, she mentions the importance of defining your own version of success and truly sticking to your values in your work.
As I listened, my version of success came pretty naturally to me. It has nothing to do with money or the number of blog readers I had. It was deeply rooted in personal relationships, in simply loving people well through my work.
I have always been a fan of service journalism—hence why I work for a food and health magazine, teaching others how to cook delicious meals and treat their bodies with care. At the end of every article I write, I want people to walk away truly feeling like they learned something new that can help their daily lives. I want them to feel cared for through my writing.
So for me, my measure of success is simply loving people well. If I loved people well, in whatever capacity that was needed that day, then I was successful. Even if that meant my blog post didn’t get as many clicks that day, or if a few followers decided to unfollow my social media accounts. Instead of feeling bummed out by those numbers, I feel hopeful that even if it was for a small time, I was able to love people in the best way I could in those moments.
Now…this is obviously easier said than done. For example, right now I have this big project I worked on that I want to move forward with. But in order to do so, I need help, and help for this project is a bit hard to find. It makes me feel like I’m incompetent as a writer, which I know is not true. So instead of feeling down about things not going according to my plan, I’ve decided to be glad in the ways that this project has already loved people well. Even if I can count the number of people on one hand.
So I leave you this Friday with a question to contemplate over the weekend: How do you measure success? And more importantly, how does that measure of success fit in with your daily values?
I bet you that measure will look different than what the world deems as successful. I bet you that your measure of success is a lot more relational than you think. Having enough money may be nice, but making money to provide for your family and give them a wonderful life? That’s a whole other beautiful measure of success.
Take some time today. Open your journal, grab your favorite pen, and write out what your measure of success is. Then stick it somewhere you can remember. Because if you’re anything like me, on days like today, you need that small little reminder of why you do what you do.
Leave a Reply