Success Story: Create Your Own Measurement Of Success
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From when I was a young girl, I had two dreams, managing a business or owning one and traveling the world. Fast forward to college and I dive headfirst into a business and business management program. Two years in, I’m burnt out and thinking this isn’t for me. So I change degree programs, twice!
All of a sudden, I’m 21 with no real degree, lots of debt, and the helpless feeling of “I’ll never achieve my dreams.” So I enter “the real world” and get a “big girl” job. I started off as a peon with a rapidly growing company and worked my butt off! Within 6 months I earned my way to a supervisor position and eventually made it to management. Now I’m 5 years into a management position with this company I absolutely loved! I’m here. All without a degree I had finally reached my dream!
Unfortunately, there seems to be an epidemic plaguing many adults.
So many of us go to jobs we don’t identify with.
They bring nothing into our lives except a paycheck, headache, and a decreased ability to get out of bed every morning. I am no different. Here I am, 28 thinking I have achieved my dream, only to find out that it has become so mentally exhausting that I struggle to find the energy to go out and enjoy my life.
Day after day I have to fight myself to reset my attitude to go out and receive the enjoyment life has to offer! I’ve been drained to the point that I rarely have the will or energy to participate in the lifestyle I used to love. As disheartening as this was for me, it opened my eyes up to the fact that I have always had many life goals and dreams. Yes, it sucks to come so far and fight so hard for something I always wanted. At the same time, I still achieved one tier of success. So I left my job to travel, my other dream. Now I’m on a journey to obtain another level of success, and after that, I will achieve another and another.
Not everything in life has to be permanent or follow the same path as others. Some people find a job they love forever, others find success by following and achieving multiple dreams.
There are many routes to achieve a goal, dream, or success.
I think sometimes our environments may skew our beliefs or ability to see different paths that we can take to reach our final destination. Just because a certain route has burned us out and drained our hope, doesn’t mean there isn’t another avenue to restore hope and achieve the same result.
At the same time, it is perfectly okay to say “this isn’t for me” and find a new goal/dream that is equally or more fulfilling than your original. As long as we commit to creating a life that excites us, that we love, and by making time for our own joys, that is truly a success. Create your own measurement of success within your life. Don’t conform to a pattern that doesn’t represent you or bring you happiness.
Explorer/Adventurer/Freelancer
Aloha! My name is Emily. I grew up adventuring in Hawaii. After pursuing a career in business management I decided to take my life on the road! After a few bumps, I’ve come to realize that finding joy in life can be tiresome, but creating the life we love is worth the effort!
After my first international trip to Thailand when I was 24, I caught the travel bug and decided to take at least one international trip a year. It wasn’t enough. So now I’ve left Hawaii to quench my thirst for adventure! Currently, I’m in Oregon enjoying the farm life for a short period of time, then I will make my way traveling around and back to where it all started, Thailand!
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