The Success Script Is Broken — Write Your Own

Get the degree. Land the job. Climb the ladder. Check all the boxes. For years, women have been handed the same tired script for success—written without their input.

But smart women today are realizing that following someone else’s formula often leads to burnout, disconnection, or a vague sense of ‘Is this it?’ If the script doesn’t fit, it’s time to write your own.

Step 1: Redefine What Success Means to You

Success is only satisfying when it’s aligned. If the idea of achievement leaves you feeling empty or exhausted, it’s not yours—it’s borrowed.

Questions to help define your personal success:

• What brings me fulfillment, even without recognition?
• How do I want to feel at the end of a week?
• What do I want more of in my life—not just achievements?
• What would success look like if I didn’t care what others thought?

Step 2: Let Go of the Timeline Trap

You don’t need to have it all figured out by 30. Or 40. Or ever, really. Life isn’t linear—and success has no deadline.

Here’s how to release comparison and pressure:

• Stop measuring your life against a fixed checklist
• Recognize that detours often lead to better outcomes
• Celebrate pivots, pauses, and personal seasons
• Remind yourself that growth isn’t always visible

Step 3: Center Your Values, Not Just Your Goals

Goals can shift. Values don’t. Aligning with your core values will lead you to a version of success that actually feels meaningful.

Steps to stay value-aligned:

• Identify your top 3 non-negotiable values
• Filter opportunities through that lens
• Revisit values monthly or seasonally
• Say no to what pulls you away from them

Step 4: Define Enough for Yourself

The myth of ‘more’ can keep you in an endless loop of striving. When you define ‘enough,’ you regain agency.

Ways to claim your own version of sufficiency:

• Ask: If nothing changed for a year, what would I still be proud of?
• Write a ‘good enough’ list for work, home, and self
• Catch yourself chasing applause over alignment
• Celebrate maintenance, not just growth

Step 5: Write a New Definition You Can Return To

Success doesn’t have to be abstract. Articulate it clearly so you can check in with yourself, not just your accomplishments.

Try creating your personal success statement:

• “Success means living in alignment with my values”
• “Success is feeling proud, not just being productive”
• “Success is having options, not obligations”
• “Success is knowing I’m growing—even if no one sees it”

Why This Matters

When women stop chasing someone else’s version of success, they gain clarity, power, and peace. Your life doesn’t need to impress—it needs to reflect.

The moment you redefine success, you also redefine freedom. That’s when the real growth begins.

Try This Instead

Let go of outdated metrics and try this mindset shift:

• Swap ‘What’s next?’ → ‘What’s meaningful now?’
• Swap ‘I should be further ahead’ → ‘I’m exactly where I need to be to evolve’
• Swap ‘Success is visible’ → ‘Success is felt’
• Swap ‘Prove yourself’ → ‘Know yourself’
• Swap ‘Arrival’ → ‘Alignment’

Takeaway

The old success script was never written with you in mind. Tear it up. Write a version that honors your values, your pace, and your truth. Your success story isn’t late—it’s just getting good.