The Invisible Checklist

Is It Just Me? Or Do We All Have This Invisible Checklist in Our Head of What Success Looks Like? A series of boxes we feel we need to tick off to "make it" in life?  Mine was set from an early age, as far back as I can remember- The overseas gap year, the career, the wedding, buy a house, have kids…

I was doing pretty well ticking off each box: became a financial adviser, got married, bought the house, had kids, was making great career moves. But it wasn’t until everything came crashing down – burnout at work, losing passion for financial advice with all the constant changes and restrictions, and finally, the breakdown of my marriage – that I stopped and asked myself, "Is this really the life I wanted?"

Questioning the Checklist

For so long, I was focused on ticking boxes, keeping up with the image of what success should look like – or at least what I thought success meant for me. But when the dust settled, I realised that this ‘checklist’ didn’t align with my true goals or the life I actually wanted.

Redefining Success

The truth is, everyone’s idea of success is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all checklist. Maybe it’s not about the big house or the perfect job – maybe your version of success looks more like flexibility, adventure, or finding passion in a side hustle. Whatever it is, it’s okay to question the path you're on and rewrite the checklist to match your own goals and values.

Letting Go of Social Pressure

It’s tough to let go of that internal pressure to live up to society’s idea of success, especially when you’ve been working towards certain goals for so long. The same goes for financial goals – letting go of goals that no longer align with who you are can feel terrifying.

The moment I let go of my ‘success checklist’, I started thinking about what I really wanted: to work with people in a way that aligns with my passions, to create a more balanced life, and to focus on goals that actually mean something to me.

Success for me now looks like a home I love (even if it’s a rental), a job that’s more than just work, slow mornings with the kids, and time for tennis on a Tuesday morning. And honestly, that feels pretty amazing.

Start Your Own List

If you’re feeling the pressure of ticking boxes that don’t resonate with you, maybe it’s time to pause and ask yourself: Is this my checklist, or someone else’s?