We recently checked out the book “Rethinking Success” by J. Douglas Holladay. His 8 guiding practices for meaningful work and life align really closely to what we’re trying to through our events and experiences we create at Soundboard.

1. Know your story

Stories are powerful - the stories you hear about others and the stories you tell yourself.

What is the story you tell about yourself? Both internally and externally. Have you ever sat down and wrote yourself a positive admirable version of your own story?

2. Maintain Genuine Relationships

Build a network of people you genuinely learn from and want to be around. Approach every person with genuine curiosity and try to let go of the expectation of getting something in return. That is our ethos at Soundboard. Then when you do actually need something, you will have a strong support system to help you.

3. Make Gratitude a Regular Practice

People talk about practicing gratitude regularly but have you ever actually tried it out?

Right now, think of three things you are grateful for, the more you practice the more this will come naturally.

4. Learn to Forgive and Serve

Don't get bitter about situations. Sure, feel your feelings if something makes you annoyed or angry but don't wallow in it forever.

We also know that serving others is supposed to feel rewarding, have you ever reflected on what this means to you?

5. Define Success and Failure for You

This is an obvious one but worth checking in on what success and failure means to you at different times in your life - we are constantly changing and with every big life change, it's worth reassessing what both of these look like to you.

6. Invite Risk Into Your Life

Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is a central part to growth. Whether it's having a conversation with a stranger or quitting a job you hate, inviting risk into your life can be beneficial.

Apparently 20% of people possess a mutated gene that causes them to be more curious and to assume greater risks and if forced to live a settled life they tend to "wither", (the gene is called DRD4-7R incase you're curious ) .

7. Live an Integrated Life

As humans, we intuitively want to live integrated and connected lives - while this is aspirational, it means aspiring to live a life where everything you do has meaning to it, and that every part reinforces everything else.

Have you got your work self, and then your "real" self that friends and family see? Which do you prefer and are there ways you could bring the best of both together?

8. Leave a Legacy

We all leave a legacy of some sort. One of the quotes in this section of the book sums it up pretty well "Should you live for your resume...or your eulogy?"

Often what we love to do and what we're good at don't influence what we actually spend our time doing both personally and professionally. Would you want your legacy to be for the person who always stayed the latest in the office, or would you want it to be something else?