Redefining Success after 50: Less, But Truer

I sat at my desk this morning, watching the sunrise paint the sky in gentle pinks and purples, thinking about how differently I view success after 50 compared to twenty years ago. Back then, my definition was borrowed from others – shaped by corporate metrics, societal expectations, and the relentless push for more, bigger, faster.

Now, at 52, I find myself deliberately choosing less. Not from a place of settling or shrinking, but from a deep knowing that true success often lives in the spaces between the obvious markers we’re taught to chase.

I want to share some honest reflections about what it means to redefine success in midlife, especially for those of us creating work that aligns with our souls rather than someone else’s scorecard. This isn’t about manufactured answers or five-step formulas. It’s about asking better questions and giving ourselves permission to answer them differently than we might have before.

The Unlearning

The first step in redefining success has been unlearning – letting go of deeply ingrained beliefs about what “counts” as achievement. For decades, I measured my worth through metrics like:

• Income level
• Job title
• Hours worked
• Size of impact
• Speed of growth
• Number of followers/clients
• Visible results

These aren’t inherently bad measures, but they’re incomplete. They don’t account for the intangible qualities that, in midlife, I’ve come to value most:

• Alignment with personal values
• Quality of presence
• Depth of relationships
• Inner peace
• Time abundance
• Energy sustainability
• Joy in the process

The shift hasn’t been easy. Our culture celebrates visible achievements and rapid growth. Choosing a different path can feel like swimming upstream, especially when well-meaning friends and family don’t quite understand why we’re “scaling back” or “playing small.”

But here’s what I’ve learned: There’s nothing small about choosing alignment over acceleration.

A Different Kind of Metrics

These days, my measure of success looks more like this:

• Can I do this work without compromising my health?
• Does this allow me to be present for the people and moments that matter most?
• Am I serving from a place of fullness rather than depletion?
• Does this work feel like an authentic expression of who I am?
• Can I sustain this pace long-term?
• Does this honor both my practical needs and my spiritual values?

Notice how different these questions are from “How can I maximize revenue?” or “How quickly can I scale?” It’s not that money and growth aren’t important – they are. But they’re no longer the primary drivers of my decisions.

The Permission to Go Slower

One of the most radical acts in our fast-paced world is choosing to move at a pace that feels sustainable and true. I’ve watched too many women burn out trying to keep up with arbitrary timelines and artificial urgency.

Three years ago, I made a decision that would have terrified my younger self: I intentionally slowed down my business growth to focus on depth rather than breadth. I took on fewer clients but spent more time with each one. I posted less on social media but wrote longer, more thoughtful pieces when I did. I raised my prices but offered more value through presence and personalization.

The result? My income decreased slightly, but my satisfaction and impact deepened significantly. My clients got better results because I had more energy to serve them well. I felt more aligned with my values and more present in my life.

This isn’t the path for everyone, and that’s precisely the point. Success after 50 isn’t about following someone else’s blueprint – it’s about having the courage to create our own.

The Reality Check

Let me be clear: This isn’t about throwing practical considerations out the window. We still need to pay our bills and plan for retirement. But it is about questioning the “more is better” mindset and finding ways to meet our practical needs while honoring our souls.

Some truths I’ve learned:

• It’s possible to build a sustainable business without sacrificing your well-being
• You can serve deeply without being available 24/7
• Your worth isn’t measured by your productivity
• Small can be beautiful and profitable
• Impact doesn’t always correlate with size
• Success can look like maintaining rather than constantly growing

The Practical Shifts

For those considering this path, here are some practical ways I’ve implemented this “less but truer” approach:

Time Management:

• Working in shorter, focused blocks rather than long days
• Building in regular pause points for reflection and assessment
• Saying no to “opportunities” that don’t align with my energy or values

Business Structure:

• Offering fewer services but delivering them more deeply
• Creating boundaries that protect my energy and creativity
• Designing systems that support ease rather than constant hustle

Marketing:

• Sharing authentically rather than strategically
• Focusing on genuine connection over constant visibility
• Letting word of mouth be my primary growth driver

Financial Planning:

• Setting “enough” goals rather than endless growth targets
• Building multiple streams of passive income
• Prioritizing sustainability over rapid scaling

The Unexpected Benefits

When we step off the traditional success treadmill, surprising things happen:

• Creativity flows more easily when we’re not forcing it
• Genuine connections deepen naturally
• Our work becomes more distinctive because it’s truly ours
• We have energy left for other important areas of life
• Opportunities that truly align seem to find us
• Our definition of “enough” becomes clearer

The Challenge of Holding Course

This path isn’t always easy. There are days when I question my choices, especially when I see others seemingly racing ahead. The challenge isn’t just in making these decisions once, but in recommitting to them daily.

What helps me stay grounded is remembering that this isn’t about doing less from a place of fear or limitation. It’s about choosing less from a place of wisdom and self-knowledge. It’s about creating space for what matters most and letting go of what doesn’t.

A Reflection for Your Journey

If you’re feeling called to redefine success in your own life and work, here are some journal prompts to explore:

• What would “success” look like if no one else was watching?
• Where in your work or life are you pushing for “more” out of habit rather than genuine desire?
• What would it look like to choose “enough” over “endless growth”?
• What aspects of your current definition of success feel borrowed from others?
• If you could measure success by how you feel rather than what you achieve, what would you do differently?
  

The Invitation

This is an invitation to consider what success might look like if we defined it for ourselves, at this stage of life, with all the wisdom we’ve gathered along the way. It’s an invitation to choose less but truer, to value depth over breadth, and to create a work

Remember: The world needs your gifts, offered in your way, at your pace. That might look different from what others are doing, and that’s not just okay – it’s exactly as it should be. that honors both our practical needs and our soul’s calling.

Take what resonates from these reflections and leave what doesn’t. Your path to redefining success will be as unique as you are. Trust that you have the wisdom within you to know what’s right for your next step.

How will you choose to define success today?

If you’d like to read more articles on building a soulful side gig. Click here.

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