WEEK 13 - Defining (and redefining) success
Hey HOMwork friends, happy Friday!
(If this is your first time joining us, take a peek at our Challenge Archive for all previous assignments.)
Success is such a loaded word in our industry because we're taught so many conventional methods of measuring it. For me, it used to be a bright corner office, fancy exec title, six-figure salary, and the ability to power walk the halls of a big agency in fabulous heels (that of course, I could wear all day without so much as a hint of a blister).
So, I spent my late teens and early 20's taking all the right steps to put me in a position to achieve that. I majored in advertising (cause I thought/was told it was one of the only creative professions that made solid money), worked really hard in school, and landed a Jr. Art Director position right out of college...only to be miserable less than six months into the job! (See my blog post for the whole story.)
Redefining what success means, and feels like, has played a crucial role in building my freelance career to what it is today. Pivoting my priorities from achieving a six-figure salary by any means necessary as a measure of success to “I’ll feel successful if I draw every day” has lead to projects, opportunities and skills that ultimately led me to earning a six-figure income in a feel-good way. Now, success to me means having the freedom to work on what I want to work on, like fulfilling client work and passion projects.
When you take the time to redefine what success truly means for yourself, it frees up your potential because you're not playing by anyone else's rules. Being true to yourself tends to lead to a happier, more fulfilling career.
OMG FREE BRUSHES!
I drew my artwork with a lovely set of Procreate brushes from DesignCuts, and they're giving all HOMwork subscribers two FREE brushes from the same set.
<< Click here to download them!
Your Assignment: How do YOU define success for yourself? Letter the word ‘success’ and then your unique definition(s) of it underneath/around.
To begin reframing your preconceived notions about success, start by picturing your perfect day of work. What does it look like? What brings you the most joy? What new metrics will you use to measure your satisfaction?
Caption Idea: Tell us about how your definition of success has changed over time & what steps you're currently taking to achieve it.
Don't forget to tag me @homsweethom and use the hashtag #HOMwork so I can see your revamped definitions. I'll be sharing my faves in my Stories all week!
Love,
Lauren
P.S. Q&A time! Reply to this email with your #1 question about measuring success and reframing old narratives, and I'll share my answers in an IGTV video. Click here to view the latest video uploaded this week.
