The concept of success comes up a lot in conversation and the more I debate it the more certain I am that it’s a hungry beast; never truly satisfied.

With the best of intentions we set goals and objectives; then life gets in the way. It derails our efforts or changes our perspective on what’s important. Oftentimes, people lose sight of why they’ve set those goals in the first place; something I see in coaching every day.

This may in part be due to a tendency to make big plans, which can take a while to materialise. Certainly this is true in business. Research tells us that it takes on average 7-10 years to become established in a new venture or line of work and I can relate to that.

So much of what we do is in truth preparation for what we really want to be doing. For instance, putting systems and processes in place that can grow with the business feels like it’s taken an eternity; and some of that is because what I want for the business now compared with what I thought likely in 2006 has changed out of sight.

The investment in personal and professional development has also evolved over time. In the early years my focus was on attaining relevant Coach Accreditations, with reputable organisations such as the International Coach Federation and the Association for Coaching. My focus was in demonstrating that I was fit for purpose and could be trusted, whilst operating in what is still, unfortunately an unregulated industry.

As I sit here today, I can safely say that I don’t need any more badges to be able to do my job competently. So, my ongoing development ticks along (which won’t and shouldn’t ever stop) allowing my focus to shift towards the support and development of those who work with me.

Furthermore, it enables me to do more for my Clients and is a platform for generating fresh ideas; both of which make me feel good.

So, we’re back to the idea of success which I would define as those feel good moments, however fleeting.

I’d invite you to take the time to notice these instances as I imagine you have many. To ignore them is a missed opportunity to congratulate yourself for a job well done, however small; whereas to recognise them gives you many moments of satisfaction which result in an increased sense of success.

I’m feeling pretty good right now; how about you?