Nobody Told Me Success Would Feel Like This

People call me successful all the time. And every single time, I want to shake my head and laugh.

If you only knew.

I still battle imposter syndrome. I still feel like a fraud some days. I don't have millions stashed away. I don't own my ranch yet. I have debt. My credit score is not something I'm proud of. I've made bad financial decisions and I'm still paying for them. Literally.

So when someone looks at me and says "oh my gosh, you're so successful" - I get it, and I appreciate it, but my brain immediately goes to everything that still isn't where I want it to be.

Here's what I've learned though: the dictionary definition of success is simply "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose." That's it. And by that definition? I have had a LOT of successes. I've also had a lot of failures. Both are true at the same time.

The problem isn't success. The problem is how we measure it.

We're measuring it against some fantasy version of "arrival" that doesn't actually exist. The paid-off house. The fat retirement account. The perfect credit score. The zero debt. And until we hit that imaginary finish line, we tell ourselves we're not there yet.

I grew up in chaos. Foster care, divorced parents, moving constantly, and a dad who handed me a job at McDonald's for my 16th birthday instead of a gift. I was the fry girl. I supported myself before most kids were driving themselves to school. So somewhere deep in my nervous system, standing still feels dangerous. Like if I stop moving, someone will catch up to me and take everything I've worked for - even when it doesn't feel like much.

That fear has driven me. It's also exhausted me.

I've closed over $20+ million in sales. I've built a business that helps women create consistent $10K+ months. I take my kids to McDonald's every Friday after school because I want them to have the traditions I didn't (and yes I’m fully McDonald’s isn’t the best choice but they love Happy Meals). I have four kids when I swore I'd never have any, because I refused to let my childhood become theirs.

That IS success. Even when it doesn't feel like it from the inside.

So if you're reading this and you're in the middle of building something, still in debt, still figuring it out, still comparing yourself to where you thought you'd be by now - I want you to hear this:

You don't have to have it all figured out to have already won some really important battles.

Stop waiting to feel successful before you let yourself call it that.

The version of you that started? She would not believe where you are right now.

-Sausha