I turned 52 two weeks ago.

I spent the day doing things my summer break reminded me are important:

Connecting with Laurence and our team, overlooking Brighton Beach
Solo reflection time in a sauna
A Chinese takeaway and a trip to see The Fantastic Four with my family

When I was younger, I thought success meant that by the age of 30 I’d be a millionaire, a doctor, and a black belt in Kung Fu.

(I got the PhD and the belt. Two out of three ain’t bad.)

But now? Those outer markers don’t matter so much. Success has become a feeling – something I know in my body, not on a spreadsheet.

So let me ask you: when was the last time you stopped to define what success means to you?

If you’re not sure where to start, here are four lenses that have changed everything for me:

💸 Money: from accumulation to flow

I used to think becoming a millionaire would make me safe. Now, money feels more about alignment, intention, and meaning.

⏰ Time: from productivity to presence

September energy makes me want to tick boxes. But I don’t want to sacrifice quality time with those I love just to get things done.

🫶 Connection: from status to authenticity

At our old agency, I was head-hunted for big roles with big salaries. I turned them down. Working with Laurence in a boutique business where I could truly be myself felt far richer.

🌍 Impact: from forcing change to being the change

Laurence and I talk a lot about “effortless impact.” It’s what happens when you reweave your skills, knowledge, and experience into work that feels more like you.

This work is almost impossible to do by yourself.

For years, Laurence and I tried to figure it out alone. It was heavy and effortful.

Launching The Happy Startup School was our way of doing it differently. And we learnt something vital: there’s magic in community.

When you’re surrounded by others questioning the same old definitions of success, you stop feeling broken, behind, or alone.

As Laurence says:

“When you're surrounded by people who are living in a different way, then that becomes the norm. I think if you're the only one who's fighting against this, you feel like a lone wolf.”

The question that could change everything.

Here’s where to start - with Lana’s barometer for decision-making:

“Are you honouring that which you seek?”

Not: Are you following the plan?

Not: Are you meeting expectations?

But: Are you honouring what you actually seek?

Of course, that requires knowing what you’re seeking in the first place.

And that’s exactly the work we do in Vision 20/20.

Watch me, Lana, and Laurence talk about how we’ve redefined success in our own lives – including Laurence’s quarter-life crisis at 23 and how Lana’s breast cancer powerfully redefined success for her.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE

Your next right step

Redefining success isn’t about throwing away what you’ve built. It’s about consciously choosing what fits - and releasing what doesn’t.

If you’re feeling that familiar tug, that sense that there might be another way to live and work, you’re not imagining it.

And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

The next cohort of Vision 20/20 starts on the 13th October 2025.

Running through to February 2026, it's journey for people ready to move from external definitions of success to something more authentic, sustainable, and joyful.

Because here’s what we’ve learnt in more than a decade of doing this work:

When you align your work with who you really are, success becomes less about proving yourself and more about expressing yourself.

And that changes everything.

Stop sitting in the overwhelm.

Start channelling that creative energy into something that excites you.

As Oliver Burkeman reminds us,

‘Who says you need to wait until you “feel like” doing something in order to start doing it? … You can note the procrastinatory feelings and act anyway.’

If what you’ve read resonates, this could be the moment to act - even if it doesn’t feel perfect.