This is the time of year when we naturally look back and evaluate how we did.

We measure:

Revenue
Clients
Growth
Goals achieved

All of that matters. I’m a big believer in setting measurable goals you can check off as “done” or “not yet.” But here’s the question I’ve been sitting with lately:

How do you define personal success?

Because if success is only about money or milestones, it becomes very easy to compare yourself to others—and that comparison game always leaves someone feeling like they came up short. And that doesn’t serve you.

My dear friend and mentor, Dr. Nido Qubein, says we should have not only a to-do list—but also a to-be list. Not just: What do I want to accomplish? But: Who do I want to become?

With that in mind, think about how you define your personal success in terms of these words:

Peace
Contentment
Kindness
Compassion
Gratitude

Because when you focus on having more of these things, something remarkable happens—you naturally begin to have a more full life, and that leads to having more impact on others. It’s not about what you make. It’s about how much you matter.

This past week, I had breakfast with a dear friend, Bob Stoeckig who was sharing about music festivals, music theater, and a recent music retreat he went on. His excitement was contagious—and honestly, it inspired me. After breakfast, I realized two things:

I don’t listen to nearly enough music.
I haven’t added enough color to my life lately.

What I mean by that is, my focus this year has been too much on business, and not nearly as much on living a full life. In fact, as he was talking about music, I started to think of other creative ways to be moved. I was reminded of standing in front of a Monet painting years ago that moved me to tears. This reflection inspired me to re-think what personal success means. It’s not all about the bookings, but being more of a person worthy of being booked.

Now that 2026 is right around the corner, I hope that you take the time to update your bucket list, set some new goals and have some creative new year’s resolutions. But that’s not all.

I invite you to ask yourself some questions that are less measurable:

How will I be more intentional about joy?
How will I have more peace?
How can I lead with gratitude daily?
How will I choose to show more compassion?

All of these things can make you not only more happy, but more impactful. At the end of the day, when your head hits the pillow, you can measure your personal success by these types of questions: