In the same thought-provoking comment on High Performance Is Not What You Think, a second question emerged:
“What steps can we take to redefine success beyond busyness?”
This question doesn’t just challenge productivity myths — it invites a new cultural and personal narrative. It asks: If being busy doesn’t equal being successful, what does?
To answer this, we must shift the focus from activity to impact, from visibility to clarity, and from output to outcome.
Step 1: Redefine Metrics of Success
Most of us still use quantity-based indicators of success: hours worked, emails sent, meetings attended. But meaningful success is better measured through:
- Value created
- Decisions made with clarity
- Energy sustainability
- Personal growth and fulfillment
This shift echoes what psychologists call intrinsic motivation (Deci & Ryan, 1985): the drive that comes from meaning, not metrics.
Step 2: Audit and Reclaim Your Time
Use tools like time-tracking not to optimize for more output, but to observe where your attention is leaking. Ask:
- What percentage of my time supports meaningful goals?
- What tasks deplete me without delivering real value?
Time is not just a resource — it’s an ethical allocation of your attention and energy.
Step 3: Normalize Strategic Inactivity
Deliberate rest, reflection time, and white space are not indulgences — they are performance enablers. Neuroscience shows that the default mode network (DMN) of the brain, active during rest, is essential for problem-solving, creativity, and future planning (Raichle et al., 2001).
In high-performance cultures, this step is radical: make recovery a part of your process.
Step 4: Lead by Example — Quietly
Whether you lead teams or your own schedule, demonstrating success without urgency is powerful. Say no without apology. Protect focused time. Celebrate outcomes, not hours.
True leadership in this area isn’t loud — it’s consistent.
Step 5: Anchor in Purpose, Not Proving
Redefining success requires detaching from external validation. Ask regularly:
- What am I really trying to build?
- What would success look like if no one else was watching?
Purpose-driven success is often quieter — but far more resilient.
Conclusion
To move beyond busyness, we must intentionally construct new definitions of success — ones grounded in clarity, purpose, and sustainable performance. This is not a minor adjustment. It’s a paradigm shift.
And it begins in the way we design our days, measure our progress, and teach others what matters.
Not by doing more. But by doing what matters — with attention, depth, and conviction.
References
- Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior.
- Raichle, M. E. et al. (2001). A default mode of brain function. PNAS, 98(2), 676–682.
- Newport, C. (2016). Deep Work.
- Hallowell, E. M. (2005). Overloaded Circuits.
- Grant, A. M. (2013). Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success.