Why So Many Smart People Are Rethinking ‘Success’

There has been a noticeable shift in how people are viewing success and I feel the old version of success just expired.

It’s not just burnout and it's not just the multitude of layoffs.

Also it's not AI quietly replacing the work you were once praised for.

It’s all of it, at once.

The smartest people I know, the high performers, parents, founders, creatives are asking a different question now:

“What is my purpose at work and what am I optimising for?”

Not so long ago, it used to be all about:

• The bigger titles

• Sharper teams

• Promotions every 12–18 months

• Pay cheques that validated your sacrifice

But something has shifted.

Since 2020 there has been a slow shift and post-pandemic, mid-AI revolution, amidst parenting, pressure, and fatigue, has cracked open a deeper reckoning.

We are not just changing careers. We are challenging the entire definition of success.

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What’s Changing

1. The Role of Work

Then: Work was your identity.

Now: It’s one input in a bigger system. People are asking: “Does this give me energy or just extract it?”

2. AI’s Impact

Then: Skill = value.

Now: AI replicates knowledge. The differentiator is judgment, clarity, and voice, all of the invaluable human traits.

3. Career Pathways

Then: Linear ladders.

Now: Nonlinear squiggly careers. Careers are experiments that consists of portfolio work, lateral moves, fractional roles, sabbaticals.

4. Energy as Currency

Then: Hustle was glorified.

Now: Energy is protected like capital. “Can I still be present at 5pm?” is a success metric.

What’s Being Challenged

1. The Myth of Linear Progression

We were sold a story: work hard, follow the path, and you’ll be fulfilled.

But the path was built for a different world, one without Slack pings at 11pm and inboxes that never end.

2. The Illusion of Stability

Even the most “secure” roles can disappear. The new game isn’t loyalty, it’s leverage.

3. The Social Scripts

“Big job = big success.”

“Parenthood kills ambition.”

“Only creatives build online.”

These beliefs are outdated. We’re rewriting them in real time.

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So What Does Success Look Like Now?

It’s not about stepping back. It’s about recalibrating forward.

Today, success might sound more like:

• Autonomy over your calendar

• Energy that lasts past 3pm

• Work that compounds, not just consumes

• Voice and visibility beyond a company org chart

We’re not dropping out. We’re logging back in with better settings.

This isn’t failure.

This is a systems update.

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The Bigger Shift

We used to chase success.

Now we’re redefining what the meaning of success looks like.

The Five Types of Wealth - Sahil Bloom

Being Productive and Present

Being Visible and Valued

If you’re feeling this shift, you’re not alone and you’re not behind.

You’re early.

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Are you rethinking your definition of success?

What are you letting go of and what are you building instead?

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