Can We Agree It's Time To Redefine Our Definition of Success?

What’s your definition of success? It can mean many things to different people. In the dictionary, success is defined as:

1. the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one's goals.

2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

3. a performance or achievement that is marked by success, as by the attainment of honors.

4. a person or thing that has had success, as measured by attainment of goals, wealth, etc.

But personally, I think it’s time to redefine the definition to include the word RESTED.

WHY?

Because rest is what makes us stronger. It gives us the ability to take our knowledge and experiences and turn it into usable fuel that allows us to:

…nail the proposals

…make the sales

…get our clients to the next level

…impact lives in our communities

…feel a sense of gratitude for our achievements

…experience life clearly

…and carry out our purpose

You can only do so much without taking a recovery period, you can only go so far with a quarter tank of gas, you can only spend until you run out of money. Rest is currency.

So how about we create new definitions of success:

• The attainment of fulfillment, purpose, knowledge, and balance

• An achievement that brings personal joy and contributes to collective evolution

• The accomplishment of one’s goals, including rest and work-life balance

Your definition of success is up to you.

Now, when it comes to rest, many people equate rest with sleep. But according to the authors of the book, Burnout, “rest is, quite simply, when you stop using a part of you that’s used up, worn out, damaged, or inflamed so that it has a chance to renew itself.”

Rest is not lazy.

Rest is not something you have to work for in order to deserve.

Rest is not a privilege.

Rest is the fuel you need to make your contribution to the world and live out your purpose. When you don’t honor your body’s need for rest, the potential for burnout increases and the manner in which you are called to fulfill your purpose is compromised.

Our work-focused, grind all day, sleep when you die, hustle hard, booked & busy society would have you thinking you don’t deserve to rest until you’ve secured the bag (or whatever they sayin nowadays), but all of that comes at a cost. We are built to go between work and rest while cultivating joy in our lives, learning, and growing. When we allow the pendulum to swing between work and rest, we’re actually more productive, we produce better quality work, and our mental and physical health can remain intact throughout it all. BUT that’s not to say we should rest simply to be more productive. Again, we NEED rest because we are human beings, not robots.

It’s time to normalize LIFE-work balance and stop sacrificing ourselves for financial and societal gain. Your life is worth more than a paycheck.

So about that rest I mentioned....

Did you know rest comes in many forms that our body and mind needs, better yet CRAVES??

Sometimes we need active rest and other times we need passive rest.

Active rest is when you work one part of yourself while allowing the other parts to rest. This would be a light activity that still engages your brain, instead of completely shutting off. Active rest can apply to your body (think: cross training or having a yoga day after an intense workout day) or it can also apply to how you use your mind, your emotions, and even how you interact socially.

Some examples of active rest would be:

• Deep breathing exercises (breathwork)

• Switching to a less mentally or emotionally taxing task

• Reading for fun, instead of work

• Restorative yoga

• Moderate exercise

• Mindfulness and meditation

• Connecting with someone for a good conversation

• Work on a creative project or hobby

• Journaling

• Practice learning a new language

• Take a walk in nature

• Any other task that feels good to you!

Passive rest on the other hand is an inactive form of rest and I think what comes to mind for many of us when we think about resting.

Some examples of physical rest would be: 

• Bingeing Netflix and catching up on your favorite shows

• Napping or lying down

• Listening to music or binaural beats

• Scrolling social media

• Browsing the internet

• Bodywork, massage

• Deep sleep (without your cell phone)

To really rest and honor our bodies, we need a mix of active and passive rest. And choosing what you need in the moment needs to be based on how you feel, what your body and mind tells you it needs in order to feel at ease and rejuvenated. Remember, your body and mind are not two separate aspects of you. They both require active and passive rest in order to thrive.

You deserve to live a fulfilled life. And taking care of your mental state and your physical body is one way to create the type of life that brings you peace, satisfaction, surprise, recognition, and joy.