What is your definition of success?

Dear Dreamers and Storytellers,

Have you ever chased someone else’s dream, only to wake up lost in your own life?

A unicorn label,

A million dollars in the bank,

A cover story in a glossy magazine.

For years, these were the loud, celebrated definitions of success. The world still puts them on a pedestal, applauds them, aspires to them.

But somewhere along the way, I asked myself, is that really what success means to me?

At 50, I walked away from the comfort of a paycheck.

Not because I had a grand plan,

But because the life I was living, safe, secure, well-compensated, didn’t feel like mine anymore.

It wasn’t easy.

What held me back for years was the comfort of the steady drip of a paycheck, something I was used to for over 30 years.

It was the fear of loss, of letting go of the known, of stepping into uncharted territory.

But in the end, I jumped.

Because I didn’t want to die with my song still in my heart.

I didn’t want to look back at life with regrets.

At first, it was about survival.

But slowly, as I tasted the freedom to live on my own terms, I found a new measure of success:

Time, Energy, Choice, Joy.

I no longer chase every business opportunity,

I choose work that makes me come alive,

I work with people I align with,

I make time for family, health, solitude, and contribution.

Freedom is my new wealth,

Meaning is my new metric.

I still have ambition, but it’s no longer about proving anything,

It’s about doing work I care about, with people I care for, in a way that lets me sleep peacefully and wake up excited.

So here’s what I’m wondering,

What is your definition of success?

Has it changed over time? Or does it still carry someone else’s script?

And what can we do, one shift at a time, to move from achievement to meaning?

I’m not offering answers,

I’m just starting a conversation.

For the Dreamers,

For the Storytellers,

For anyone questioning what truly matters now.

Story First Actions: Redefining Success

Drawn from my book Story First, here are a few actions to begin your redefinition:

1. Write your old script: What were the definitions of success you grew up with? Whose voices shaped them?

2. Identify one shift: What is one thing you’ve outgrown that you still chase? Name it, and reflect on why it no longer fits.

3. Craft your success story: In one paragraph, describe your life if success meant peace, joy, and purpose.

4. Tell someone: Share your redefined success story with a friend or mentor. Speaking it gives it power.

5. Build alignment: Choose one decision this week, big or small, that aligns with your new story.

Hit reply and tell me your version of success.

Let’s build a new playbook, one that feels like your own.

Sanjay

Dreamer and Storyteller