Without context, success is a meaningless word. Does it mean a particular bank balance or fancy title? The admiration of others? A level of impact on the world? A state of mind? The ability to sleep comfortably at night knowing you've lived up to your own values? There is no way to independently answer these questions. The advice "how to be successful" is pretty useless (or worse, guilty of implicitly reinforcing the unexamined and often harmful assumption that success means being rich and powerful). It also means that there's no one who can tell you you're successful (or not) but you.

Being Successful Is One Challenge. Feeling Successful Is Another

Whenever I am asked about my work, I dodge the question. Earlier this year I published my first book and whenever someone says how proud I must be, a bubble of shame grows inside because, well, I'm just not. In an attempt to rid myself of that feeling, I do more, work harder. I endeavor to be more productive.  The only thing more overwhelming is that I feel like I've done nothig at all. Thinking of this unhealthy relationship I have with my professional achievements as "productivity dysmorphia.

Inability To See My Own Success

The term 'productivity dysmorphia' popped into my head while I was reading Otegha Uwagba’s recent memoir, We Need To Talk About Money. She labelled her relationship with her finances 'money dysmorphia', a phenomenon first described by the data journalist Mona Chalabi. "It is possible to feel as though you don’t have enough money – and act accordingly – even when you do," Uwagba writes. I read that and thought, I have this, but with productivity. <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2021/09/10640493/what-is-productivity-dysmorphia">@refinery29</a>

"Do you ever have a disconnect between what you've objectively achieved and your feelings about it?"  "[I wrestle] with the fact that I’m happy with a certain amount of internal conflict when I’m being creative, but also feel a sense of letdown after achieving something big." "It was like a work version of COVID; I’d lost my sense of taste for accomplishment."<a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2021/09/10640493/what-is-productivity-dysmorphia">@refinery29</a>

Productivity dysmorphia sits at the intersection of burnout, imposter syndrome and anxiety. It is ambition’s alter ego: the pursuit of productivity spurs us to do more while robbing us of the ability to savour any success we may encounter . Some of us suffer from productivity dysmorphia because of a deep-seated sense of inadequacy that can best be addressed in therapy. Others are impacted by horrible bosses or workplaces that don't value and reward their contributions. One expert blamed capitalism's persistent message that your worth lies in creating ever greater levels of material wealth.

Addressing The  Life You Lead

PRODUCTIVITY DYSMORPHIA IS SIMULTANEOUSLY A SYMPTOM OF MODERN WORK'S AFFLICTIONS BUT ALSO THE CAUSE. FIXING IT IS LESS ABOUT RIDDING OURSELVES OF THESE FEELINGS AND MORE ABOUT LOOKING TO WHAT THEY ARE TELLING US.  <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2021/09/10640493/what-is-productivity-dysmorphia">﻿@refinery29</a>

There is no single, simple recipe for fighting productivity dysmorphia, but what you can do as a first step is name the problem and remind yourself of the simple and empowering truth above. You determine what success means. And if you're never meeting your own definition of the term, something dramatic needs to change.

Defined Your Own Succcess 

Being successful is one challenge. Actually feeling successful is another.

career

Career

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

mindfulness

Mindfulness

mentalhealth

Mental Health

Is 'Productivity Dysmorphia' Stopping You From Enjoying Your Successes?

Even though I was still very young, I took on multiple jobs to help earn money. The experience demonstrated to me the value of work. It also ingrained in me; waiting until college to gain experience and earn a living really sets you up poorly. The earlier you experience and understand the nuances of the working world, the more quickly you’ll be able to get ahead.My late grandfather once told me to never chase the horizon beyond the one that you can see" <a href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/jillgriffin/2019/04/09/luck-is-what-happens-when-preparation-meets-opportunity/amp/">@ Forbes</a>

Preparation meets opportunity 

<ul><li>Treat everyone as you would wish to be treated . It is important to put yourself in other people’s shoes.</li><li>Go outside your comfort zone . Our interns found herself as the only person of color in a boardroom with 40 people. She felt like she didn’t belong there, with the help and support of mentors she stepped out of her comfort zone, and found her voice.</li><li>Always support those who work for you. Always laud their successes. Never take credit for other people’s work even if they work for you.</li></ul><a href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/jillgriffin/2019/04/09/luck-is-what-happens-when-preparation-meets-opportunity/amp/">@ Forbes</a>

A LEADER IS.....

Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity

<a href="https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-budget-5093520">Budgeting your money </a>is the cornerstone of a sound financial plan, and seeing all the numbers in black and white can offer valuable perspective on where your money is going and where you could put it to better use.<ol><li class="ql-align-center">Gather into one place all your electronic or paper bills, receipts, pay stubs, bank statements , and any other record of income or expense for at least a month. Or keep track of monthly income and expenditures as they happen.</li><li class="ql-align-center">Create a <a href="https://www.thebalance.com/basic-monthly-budget-worksheet-1289585">budget worksheet </a> , using a budget <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YlGTsomx1Y47jdc9HMdV4iVLP9vtZEcNJZQWHLTc1jk/edit#gid=0">template from Google Sheets </a>, an Excel spreadsheet, or paper and pen. List all your income after taxes—for example, employee and freelance income, investment income, and interest earned on any savings accounts. Then list all expenses—for example, rent or mortgage payments, credit card payments, installment loan payments, grocery receipts, and utility bills.</li><li class="ql-align-center">Add up each set of figures and subtract the expense total from the income total to get a general picture of your financial health. If your income total is larger than your expense total—congratulations—you just found more money for saving, investing, and paying down your debt. If your expense total is larger than your income total, all is not lost, but you'll have to make some choices about where you spend some of your money going forward if you want to balance your budget.</li><li class="ql-align-center">Drill down into your expenses and further categorize them into <a href="https://www.thebalance.com/discretionary-expense-definition-1293678">fixed, variable, and discretionary expenses </a>. Fixed expenses (such as your rent) remain the same from month to month and thus often constitute the basis of your budget. Variable expenses such as utility bills can typically be lowered with behavioral tweaks like turning off the lights as you leave a room, and discretionary expenses consist of wants rather than needs and provide the most opportunities for saving.</li></ol><a href="Https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-budget-and-save-money-in-5-easy-steps-4056838">﻿Souce/the balance</a>

Use one of several budgeting methods so that you can take control of your finances, cut excess spending, and start saving money.

Is 'Productivity Dysmorphia' Stopping You From Enjoying Your Successes?

Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity

Create a Budget and Save More Money

F. Krugier