Maximising Your Potential: How to Redefine Success Across Life’s Stages
Between a fresh graduate preparing to embark on their first job and a seasoned executive at the peak of the corporate ladder, what could these two individuals possibly have in common?
Each of them is on a grand quest for success.
However, with the passing of each milestone and the victory of each achievement, they’re about to find out that the joy from each win does not last a lifetime.
Throughout our lives, the pathways to achieve success shift with the changing demands of our lives along with our roles in society, within our family and among friends. Moreover, the definition of success itself is likely to change as we move through life’s multitude of stages.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by this uncertainty as you grapple with these big questions on success through different stages of your life— fear not.
Take a leaf out of these excellent self-help books and gain some insight into how we can redefine success throughout our lives even as our goals constantly change and continue to find a sense of satisfaction in the things we do.
Be Honest About Your Motivations
Firstly, is it important to examine what our underlying motivations are.
In his book, From Strength to Strength, Harvard professor and the Atlantic’s happiness columnist, Arthur C. Brooks examines workaholics. He discovers that workaholics are not addicted to work itself, instead, they are drawn to the thrill of accomplishment and the prestige that comes with their professional success.
However, an emotional high from an achievement is merely a fleeting feeling and if not careful, workaholics might find themselves trading valuable, interpersonal relationships for the promise of the next success.
In truth, this is a slippery slope and success in itself will never be enough.
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Accept That Strengths Change Over Time
Brooks’ book also raises yet another point — that strength and intelligence is not set in stone and it can change over time.
British psychologist Raymond Cattell suggests that we each have two types of intelligence — fluid intelligence and crystallised intelligence.
The former relates to your ability to solve problems and think out of the box and is highest in early adulthood while the latter is your ability to tap into your experience and knowledge gained over time.
To put it simply, the way you tackle life’s challenges will undoubtedly change over time — but that is no cause for alarm. As your perspectives shift and your strengths change, you might discover new opportunities and forge ahead with your own path, achieving peaks you’d never previously thought about.
Set Intentions, Not Goals
When we create goals, we sometimes place ourselves under unnecessary pressure and wind up feeling like a failure when we fail to achieve it.
In Living an Authentic Life, Mark Anthony suggests we should set intentions rather than goals for ourselves.
Setting an intention enables us to prioritise our growth. With an intention, we can also explore various options, adapting our aims and actions accordingly as we work towards our own ambitions. Then, we have more space to explore and experiment.
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Find Meaning in the Process
As a resolution to the issues raised by Brooks’ book, Kieran Setiya discusses the “What Now?” that arises at the end of every milestone.
In Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, he bemoans how he fervently accumulates achievements (and failures) in life but fails to find a finite ending at the end of each event.
Ultimately, after much reflection, Setiya concludes that it is living in the moment and finding meaning in the process that can bring us immeasurable satisfaction, not the attainment of ends after ends.
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Build On Your Experiences
With all of that said, ultimately, wandering into uncharted territories can be terrifying.
In his book, Bolder, Carl Honoré reassures you that this fear can pay off.
Honoré encourages you to view yourself as a work-in-progress, writing that you need to cultivate a healthy restlessness which challenges you to step out of your comfort zone and learn new things.
In his parting words, he reminds you that you should ‘Build — rather than rest — on your experience’.
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If you’re still feeling a little overwhelmed and would like some extra support and advice, join us as our The Time of Your Life (TOYL) programmes!
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Text by
Nurfaiezah Osman
National Library Board
