Personal Success: What It Really Means and How to Define Yours
What does personal success mean to you? Not the world’s definition. Not your parents’ or your boss’s. Yours.
That question is harder than it sounds – because most of us have never been taught how to define personal success on our own terms.
Inner success vs. outer success: a critical distinction
When exploring personal success, it helps to separate two things:
- Outer success – measurable achievements: salary, title, awards, possessions, social status.
- Inner success – how you feel: peace, fulfilment, alignment with values, self-respect.
Neither is wrong. But confusion arises when you chase outer success hoping it will create inner success – and it doesn’t. True personal success usually requires balancing both, or consciously choosing which matters more to you right now.
3 Questions to Help You Define Your Personal Success
Try answering these honestly. There are no wrong answers.
- What type of success are you currently most concerned with – inner or outer?
Be specific. “I want a promotion” (outer) vs. “I want to feel less anxious” (inner). Naming which one you’re chasing reveals where your energy is going.
- How would you know if you have found your personal success?
What would be different? What would you see, feel, or hear? If you can’t describe it, you won’t recognize it when it arrives.
- Whose voice is defining success for you right now?
Is it your own? Or a parent, a peer, social media, or an old story you absorbed years ago? Separating your voice from theirs is a core step in owning your personal success.
Purpose gives meaning to success. It is vital to know the difference between inner and outer success; and even more important, what success means for you.
When Coaching Helps With Personal Success
The questions above are just some of the ways coaching can help you answer truly and honestly for yourself. As Certified ILS Master Coaches, we have the tools to help navigate you toward a direction that is true to you – not a generic formula. Your personal success is unique. We help you uncover it.
FAQ: Personal Success
- What is the difference between personal success and professional success?
Professional success is typically tied to career metrics (promotions, income, recognition). Personal success is broader – it includes relationships, health, happiness, and living according to your values. You can have one without the other.
- Can personal success change over time?
Yes. What success meant to you at 25 (career climb, financial freedom) may look very different at 40 (work-life balance, meaningful impact) or 60 (legacy, peace). Re-evaluating every few years is healthy.
- How do I know if I’m chasing someone else’s definition of success?
A strong sign is feeling empty or anxious after achieving a goal. If you get the promotion but feel nothing, or buy the car but still feel restless, you may be chasing external validation, not your own personal success.
As a COMENSA Credentialed Senior Coach and Certified ILS Master Coach Dr Shoni Khangala has the tools to help navigate you to a direction that is true to you concerning Your Personal Success.
Book now to begin your journey to Personal Success!
