I started Life & Lemonade a year ago on Instagram, and I’m pretty happy with how far I’ve come and the things I’ve written about. Like every other aspect in my life, I sat down to take stock and measure the ‘success' of this little initiative.
It was in that moment I realized, by the traditional measurement methods - Life & Lemonade has been well below average. This website was delayed, my reach numbers have not been off the charts, nor has this transformed me into some kinda expert on any topic. In a nutshell, there has been no tangible ‘success’
Bummer.
And like any anxious person, I did what I know best - spiral.
I’m inconsistent, complacent, lazy, such a loser. In the whirlwind of these thoughts, a friend I haven’t really connected with in years, texted - hey, missing those Life & Lemonade posts of yours, I look forward to them.
A FREAKKIN LIGHT AT THE END OF MY TUNNEL (more like spiral)
That and only that got me thinking, is it possible to view ‘success’ through kinder lenses? are there intangible success pointers that I was completely overlooking??
New Spiral.
am I doing this in every aspect of my life?
am I unconsciously spreading this negativity to people I talk to?
have I forgotten to be grateful?
have I forgotten to be realistic?
The list went on and the answers were either yes, hell yes or OMG yes.
I’m slowly learning and accepting that SUCCESS can be intangible too.
People have reached out to me over the course of the year telling me how my Life & Lemonade posts have resonated with them, they were relieved to know some else felt the same way etc. Why was my stupid brain not registering that in the win column? that is proof that I have achieved one of the goals I set for my writing pieces. Win. Win.
We’ve been schooled to measure success as a promotion, getting a new apartment or home, getting married at a certain age, getting an MBA, having a certain car, owning a business, studying at a particular university….
Great things to achieve, but should they be the only established baseline for success? In my humble opinion (so that I do not piss anyone off,) I think NOT.
Success can and should be more than a list of tangible achievements. I haven’t achieved anything in particular from that tangible list in the last 2 years - why? not because I’ve been lazy or procrastinating or even unsure. I’ve been working hard and hustling on every front and I’d like to believe that has amounted to something.
I have tried to invest a little more in causes I believe in - made a small shift in lifestyle and purchase habits to be more environmentally conscious
I started Life & Lemonade, I’ve not been very consistent, but I never stopped trying
I have re-evaluated relationships and tried to be a better version of myself
I’ve made smarter financial choices and investments
I’ve just been more consistent with some habits that inform a better, healthier lifestyle.
These are a few examples, none of them are Linkedin-worthy posts or interview talking points. But they are in some form ‘successes’ that can and should be celebrated, right?
I want to believe that they don’t make me any less successful. I have struggled and still continue to when it comes to comparing myself to the standards society has seemingly set and comparing myself to others, by measure of those, I am, at best, average. and I have let that mess with me and my confidence. This doesn’t mean we don’t have to strive towards some of those listed goals. I’m just ambivalent about having them be the only measurement metric of success.
I guess what I want to really say here is, I hope no one out there is being hard on themselves because they haven’t checked off a box at society’s pace or standards set by others. Because circumstances differ, situations arise, resources available to individuals always differ. It’s never a level playing field.
We just need to do a better job at acknowledging that.
Here’s to success at your pace, on your own timeline, with a glass of refreshing lemonade!
Comments