Embodied Wealth: What are your metrics for success?
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Under the system of capitalism, we tend to only look for one metric of success — how much money did we make? We determine the health of a business based (in a very simplified manner) on the money in minus the money out. If that’s a positive number, you’re in the black — congrats! Keep going.
In the online entrepreneur space, I see so many folx who merely focus on that one number. You probably witness this too. How many programs have you seen that guarantee a 5-figure launch, repeated 5-figure months, or a 6-figure year?
The funny thing is, many of us need to reach those markers in order to make a viable living, so it’s not that having those as goals is inherently bad. While we continue to live within the confines of capitalism, we do have to make money to survive. So these goals are real and valid, and they can be part of our vision for success. However, they become problematic when they’re our only marker for success.
I question the capitalistic mentality that encourages us to grind and hustle to reach those financial goals at all costs.
After all, when money is the sole indicator of success, what do we sacrifice along the way? Often, we feel (or rather, we’re taught) that we must give up rest, creativity, true connection, time with loved ones, and sometimes even our values in order to make a sufficient income. That’s what we’re told about wealth: that it’s worth sacrificing our humanity to attain, and this is the only way to achieve real success.
But what if we expanded our definition of success and wealth so that it not only includes financial abundance, but also emotional wellness, mental attunement, and spiritual growth for ourselves and our communities? What if our idea of wealth contained space for true thriving for our bodies, minds, and spirits as well?
Then the way we operate our businesses gets an instant recalibration. We can start to see how each of our actions impacts other facets of our lives.
This is what I call “Embodied Wealth,” a way to create space in your life and business for the needs of your soul as well as your temporal needs. (This is also a core tenet I’ll be presenting in my upcoming group experience, the Mindful Marketing Mastermind. If this piques your interest, take a look!
How could this idea of Embodied Wealth look in practice? Here are a few ideas to mull over:
What if revenue was just ONE metric for success, among several?
What if, along with your monthly/quarterly review, you assess not only your revenue, but also your days off, your physical and mental health, your relationships, and your general fulfillment? While those things may not be as black and white (or black and red) as your bottom line, they’re still important elements for determining whether you’re truly successful, or whether you’re sacrificing your values for financial success alone. Take the time to ask yourself: what do I need to feel TRULY successful, beyond the number on my profit and loss statement?
What if, instead of glorifying the number in our bank account and working to only ever increase it, we allow ourselves to expand the definition of success to include whatever feels joyous and spacious for us as individuals?
Perhaps that’s the ability to take a daily afternoon nap or to take regular trips. Perhaps it’s the flexibility to set your own schedule or to always be available to pick up your kids from school. What if you set loose goals that included these other markers for success?
What might be possible if instead of working incessantly to earn more only to hoard it, we redistributed some of our wealth to those people, communities, and causes that support the world we want to live in?
With this expanded definition of success, then we can choose to alter so many other things about our business. Instead of treating each new potential client as a “sale” to “close,” we can meet them as another human on their own path and explore the most equitable energetic exchange for the work.
I love seeing more fellow business owners offering a variety of sliding scale or pay-what-you’re-able offerings. I see this as a beautiful way to demonstrate redistribution of wealth and a subtle way to fight capitalism from the inside. Not every transaction is meant to be money for labor. This is where your own discernment can allow you to live your values.
For me, this is the essence of Radical Generosity, which is one of my core values in business, and something I try to embody in my daily interactions. I also think this is one of the keys to opening doors to other areas of success, because Radical Generosity cannot exist when you are solely focused on money.
Embodying my deepest values in my business, to me, is the definition of true wealth. What’s yours?
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Photo credit: Creating Light Studio