Success is personal. It means different things to different people, at different times in their lives. What it takes for one person to consider themselves successful is no doubt a world apart from what it looks and feels like to you.

Therein lies the conundrum: how do we define our own personal take on success and how do we know if (or when) we’re being successful? Here are the five coaching activities we recommend people do to articulate their vision of success. Here’s your call to action. Actually do something as a result of reading this. People who know what success means for them interview more strongly, know what they need support with and are more likely to hold themselves to account.

1. Make a list of people that you respect and think of as being successful. What behaviours and attributes do you observe in them? What do they do that inspires you? Why do you respect them?
2. Take a good hard look in the mirror. Spend some time reflecting on the kinds of things you do when you feel most proud, energised and in alignment. Ask yourself: What do I know isn’t working for me and what will sabotage me and get in my way?
3. Test out your goals, fears, dreams and ideas on a trusted adviser, mentor or coach – someone who you know will tell you the truth, challenge your thinking and push you to play bigger.
4. Allocate time to be playful and lighthearted with your dreams. Think about what you wanted to do when you were younger. What excited you? Being creative is important; sometimes we get stuck on a path and make all kinds of commitments, which can get in our way of thinking about who we want to be and what we want to be doing.
5. Write up the beliefs you have about success that you’re really attached to. Some of these beliefs might be positive, some might be negative. Some of the beliefs you used to have may no longer serve you. Five years ago, success might have meant getting a promotion; now, it might mean launching your own business, or having better work-life balance.

Once you’ve ticked off these five tasks, you should (hopefully) have a clearer idea of what it’ll take to make you be and feel successful this year. It needn’t be anything massive, like buying a bigger house or earning more money. Perhaps you want to rebook the holidays you’ve missed over the past few years, or prioritise your health more. Whatever it is, taking the time now to reflect on what’s required to achieve success in the coming months will help you develop a plan and get the job done.

– The Coach Place Global

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