Success is subjective. Personal. Yours to define.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially as I plan for 2026. It started with a conversation with a friend about some work I’d taken on in December – work I might not usually do, but did because, well, it’s Christmas and everyone needs a bit of extra cash flow at year-end.
The work itself was fine. Easy, actually. Invoicing and admin for a lovely client who works with multiple local businesses. He was grateful, I helped him feel better about his workload, and I appreciated being able to contribute something useful.
A mutual friend asked how I’d found working with him. “Yeah, it was good,” I said. “He’s really nice. I really enjoyed working with him. It’s not the type of work I’d like to do all the time, and I’d love to work with him in other areas of his business, but for right now, it’s perfect.”
Her response? “Money is money, right?”
At the time, I agreed. Yeah, absolutely. Money’s money. But then I started reflecting on what she’d actually said – that it doesn’t really matter what type of work you’re doing as long as you’re getting paid for it.
And that’s what made me pause.
It made me realise that while money matters (of course it does – I need it, and I’d certainly like more of it), it’s not actually what drives me. And more importantly, if money comes via work that doesn’t feel aligned or doesn’t feel right, I think I’m going to pass.
That might sound idealistic. Maybe even unrealistic. But I’ve been lucky enough in nearly seven years of self-employment to largely avoid the clients who constantly change their minds, who are never satisfied, who pay late or don’t pay at all! I’d like to keep it that way.
So as I look ahead to 2026, I’m getting really clear about what I actually want. What success looks like for me. And I’m realising it has very little to do with revenue targets.
This year, I want to work with people who make things better for other people.
People doing work in wellbeing, therapy, mental health, culture, leadership, personal growth. People whose work genuinely improves lives. I want to feel as invested in my clients’ businesses as I am in my own, and that only happens when I believe in what they’re doing.
This year, I want to work with people whose values align with mine.
When things click with a client, it’s magic. It’s that finishing-each-other’s-sentences thing. That bubbling-in-your-stomach feeling of I get this person and they get me. It’s the sense that we’re better together – that we can achieve more in collaboration than we could separately. When that spark is there, work doesn’t feel like work. When it’s missing, I notice.
This year, I want to do work that lights me up.
The work I find fun. Creative. Strategic. The work that makes me feel proud when I look at what we’ve created together. The work that allows me to use both my brain and my instincts. I want that discovery-call excitement to carry through the entire relationship, not just fade after the first few weeks.
This year, I want to spend more time with my family.
My boundaries around term-time working aren’t going anywhere. I slow things down during school holidays, and I’m intentional about that. If I’m going to do my best work, I need to honour what matters most to me outside of work too.
That said, I’m absolutely open to project work during term time – focused, strategic projects where we can work intensively together and make real progress. (If you’ve got something in mind, let’s talk.)
This year, I want to work with people who appreciate what I bring.
Here’s something vulnerable: validation matters to me. A lot. I want to work with people who say thank you – and mean it. Those two words shouldn’t be left unsaid. When a client tells me I’ve made a difference, that I’ve helped them feel calmer or more confident or clearer about their next steps, it means an incredible amount. I want to be known as someone who does an amazing job, who helps people achieve what they want to achieve, and who helps them stay sane in the process.
I also need to be clear about expectations around time, money, and value from the start. Not because I’m inflexible, but because clarity creates better partnerships.
This year, I want to find more true partners.
Not just clients, but partners. People I can work with in tandem to help them realise their dreams. People who trust me to see the bigger picture and do things properly. People who understand that marketing isn’t just about ticking tasks off a list – it’s about intention, alignment, and making things happen.
Now, I know what you might be thinking: That’s all well and good, Sam, but what if you can’t afford to be that choosy?
Fair point. And look, I’m not suggesting anyone should hold out for perfect alignment if they’ve got bills to pay and no other options. Sometimes you do what you need to do. But here’s the thing: you can do what you need to do while strategically and intentionally planning for what you really want. You can be clear about where you’re heading, even if you have to take a detour to get there.
The key is awareness. Not focusing on compromise as your strategy, but using it as a bridge when necessary – until the time is right to cross over to the other side.
So here’s what I’m taking into 2026: a clearer sense of what success actually means to me. Not how much money I make (though I’d like that number to grow), but who I’m working with, what I’m working on, and how it all feels.
Because we spend so much of our lives working. The more aligned we can make that work to our values, our personalities, who we actually are, the more authentic we’ll be. And the happier we’ll be. And when we’re happier, we do our best work.
That’s the kind of success I’m after.
What about you? What does success look like for you in 2026?
What do you really want?
P.S. There are so many people this year who’ve had a massive impact on my life, probably more than they know. If I’m sending you a link to this blog, you’ll know that you’re one of those people.
One Response
Very well said. Success means different things to different people. Being happy in the work and service we do is far more important to me than the money. Here’s to an awesome 2026 🌟