Why is it hard to feel a sense of success in the present moment?

Success is typically something we’re striving to achieve in the future. Strangely, we seem to experience the feeling of success when we reflect on our accomplishments.

I’m an advocate for defining what success means to you and then pursuing that version of success. Not someone else’s definition of success. 

But we have to be careful that our definition of success isn’t an endpoint. That it’s not just a destination we hope to arrive at. 

If success is measured by accomplishments then we don’t allow ourselves an opportunity to feel successful in the present moment. 

A good definition of success is clear about what our daily life looks like. It’s not only clear where we want to end up but also how we want our life to look along the way.

It’s a trap to define success by a title, an income amount or net worth. When we define success as a destination and then arrive there, we quickly move the goalpost and start the process over.

When we’re clear on what success looks like for us in the present moment we have the opportunity to enjoy a sense of success rather than continue to chase our future version of success.

Spending quality time outside with my sons is a big part of how I define success. It’s not an accomplishment or achievement, it is a moment to be enjoyed.