Defining success beyond figures: the power of 'enough'
Ever felt stuck in the never-ending cycle of "more"—more clients, more revenue, more everything? What if you could find fulfilment without scaling to 8 figures? What does 'enough' look like for you?
Ever thought about defining your "enough"? In the climate movement, we recognise that unlimited growth on a finite planet is unsustainable. Yet much business advice, particularly for freelancers and solopreneurs, stresses "more"—scaling from 6 to 7 to 8 figures. But is success just about money?
Yes, money is essential for bills and yes, it's a means to options. However, I feel we've become so fixated on the means we've lost sight of the meaning.
Esther Perel said,
"Our quality of life is determined by the quality of our relationships."
For me, success means carving out time for the people and experiences that enrich my life. I want to hop on trains to visit my friends scattered across Europe, spend quality time with my family, and breathe in some mountain air.
But how do you know when you've reached the peak—at what point can you stop, breathe, and soak in the view? What does success look like for you?
When you're your own boss and keenly aware of the "value" of each working day—or lack thereof—it's almost too easy to be lured into the perpetual grind of hustle culture. Clients are knocking at your door for more, and the temptation to say yes to everything is real. That's why having a crystal-clear goal or a targeted revenue number is so essential.
Last year, I took a daring leap. I chose to go on a 'client sabbatical' once I reached my revenue goals. I wanted to gift myself the time to explore what 'designing for resilience' means and figure out what I was meant to do. Friends cautioned me: 'Why turn away clients now? If a recession looms, bank these opportunities and take your pause later.”
But I decided to do it anyway. And voilà, here you are, reading this newsletter. Financially wise? Not yet.
Meaningful and personally fulfilling? Absolutely.
I finally did something I'd been talking about for years: I started my own thing.
Taking that first step out of the current is the toughest part; knowing your 'enough' is crucial to making it happen.
Ever hit your 'enough' and focused on what truly matters? I can't wait to hear your stories in the comments.
Want to explore the limits to growth? Check out these great resources:
Tipping point: the true story of “The Limits to Growth”. A behind-the-curtains look at the seminal 1972 study that the world conveniently brushed aside. Listen here on Spotify.
For a quick yet enlightening dip into the world of Degrowth, don't miss this bite-sized presentation from Erin Remblance.
The shortcut
So, let’s get practical. Wondering how to quantify your 'enough'? Here's a quick and dirty method inspired by Chris Harder. You can go with a ballpark monthly estimate or dive deeper for a more precise number.
Money decisions are trade-offs. As someone I can’t remember wisely said:
You can affor anything, but not everything.
With privilege comes choice and it’s up to us to decide what we do with it.
Interesting opportunities for you
I've been hand-picking 23 freelance opportunities from job boards, Slack channels and Linkedin to save you some time:
User research
User researcher - Friends Provident Foundation
User Researcher - Data Collective
UX Community Researcher - Throneless Tech
Design
Senior Visual Designer - Khan Academy
UX Designer - Alasco
Senior Designer & other roles - SYPartners
Designers - Collaborations for Future
Design Engineer - Patch
Design Project Manager - Tomorrow Partners
Human-centred & equitable design consultant - Mathematica
Learning & evaluation
Monitoring & Evaluation Consultant - Just Like Us
Facilitator - programme manager - Lens perspectives
Learning partner - London Legal
Communication & engagement
Climate Outreach Ambassador - The City of Salem’s Sustainability and Resiliency Department
Digital Engagement Consultant - Global Cooksafe Coalition
Community Manager - The Global Alliance of Territorial Communities.
Climate Finance Campaigner - Asia Pacific- Ekō
Partnership & funding expert - Noisy Cricket
Google Ad Grant Manager - Minds On Design Lab
Other gigs
Operations Admin Assistant - Octopus Electric Vehicles
Solutions Lead Consultant - Kaluza
Privacy Specialist - Wikimedia Foundation
☕️ If you found this valuable and want to say thanks, buy me a coffee ☕️
♥️ If you found an exciting opportunity and want to share it with the community, click here.
What's happening at IMMA?
🎬 A sneak peek at what's happening behind the scenes:
Do you earn less or more by focusing on climate and social impact? We launched an anonymous rate benchmark to shed some light on this.
Earning more or less while focusing on climate and social impact? We've kicked off an anonymous rate benchmark survey to give you some insights. Take the 2-min survey here
After four revisions, our new membership landing page is almost there. Thanks, Shaleah and Megan for being my eyes when I'm too close to see clearly.
Don't miss our monthly reflection session today, or mark your calendars for the next Free Office Hour on September 1st to get your burning questions answered.
Catch me in your inbox again on September 1st. 👋
Take care, and hey, if you liked this newsletter, why not share it with someone?
Talk soon,
Lilli
💌 PS: Follow us on Linkedin - we often repost opportunities and more valuable resources.