Redefining Success: A Trauma-Informed Approach | Your Trauma-Wise Career Guide Ep 33

What if the success you're chasing was never designed for someone like you?

During one of my recent open houses, someone asked me: "How do you define success?" It's such a simple question, but the answer is anything but simple—especially for those of us who've been through trauma.

Most success metrics we see in the professional world weren't created with trauma survivors in mind. They measure achievement without accounting for the energy it takes just to show up. They celebrate advancement without honoring the healing journey that makes sustainable growth possible.

In this episode, I share how I define success for trauma survivors: Success is making intentional progress toward meaningful goals while honoring your capacity and supporting your continued healing.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

*Why traditional success metrics create exhaustion for trauma survivors
*The problem with treating success as a destination
*How to define success through intentional progress, meaningful goals, honoring capacity, and supporting healing
*What success looks like at different stages of your healing journey
*How to develop your own trauma-informed definition of success

The world needs your version of success. Not the watered-down, trauma-ignoring version that traditional career advice pushes. The real version—the one that honors your healing, leverages your wisdom, and creates sustainable impact.

Remember, your healing journey isn't a detour from your career path—it's part of what makes you an extraordinary professional.

Ready to build a career that honors both your ambition and your healing? Schedule a discovery call: cyndibennettconsulting.com/contact

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When you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you grow your career journey:

1. Free trauma-informed career development resources from my website! Visit https://www.cyndibennettconsulting.com for always up-to-date tips.
2. Ready to build a fulfilling career with trauma-informed support? Join The Resilient Career Academy Learning Community, where trauma survivors support each other, share resources, and develop career resilience in a safe, understanding environment
3. Ready for personalized trauma-informed career coaching? Explore my range of virtual coaching packages designed for different stages of your career journey. Visit my website to find the right support for where you are now. [Visit my website: https://www.cyndibennettconsulting.com/1-on-1-coaching]

DISCLOSURE: Some links I share might contain resources that you might find helpful. Whenever possible I use referral links, which means if you click any of the links in this video or description and make a purchase we may receive a small commission or other compensation at no cost to you.

Transcript

Redefining Success: A Trauma-Informed Approach | Your Trauma-Wise Career Guide Ep 33

Cyndi: [00:00:00] What if the success you're chasing was never designed for someone like you? Today we're redefining what success really means for trauma survivors.

Did you know that trauma impacts how we navigate our careers, but most career advice ignores this reality? Imagine feeling confident and safe at work while honoring your healing journey. Welcome to Your Trauma-Wise Career Guide, the podcast that reimagines career development for trauma survivors. I'm your host, Cyndi Bennett, a trauma survivor turned trauma-informed career coach and founder of the Resilient Career Academy. If you're navigating your career while honoring your healing journey, you are in the right place.

During one of my recent open houses, someone asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks: how do you define success? It's such a simple [00:01:00] question, but the answer is anything but simple, especially for those of us who've been through trauma. Because here's the truth, most success metrics we see in the professional world weren't created with trauma survivors in mind.

They measure achievement without accounting for the energy it takes just to show up. They celebrate advancement without honoring the healing journey that makes sustainable growth possible. Today, I want to share how I define success, and more importantly, how you can develop your own trauma-informed definition that actually serves your healing and your career.

Here's what I've noticed: when you ask someone to define success, they usually describe an outcome, a title, a salary number, a level of recognition. It's always a destination, something you arrive at, check off, and then... what? [00:02:00] But here's the problem with treating success as a destination: the finish line keeps moving.

You get the promotion, and suddenly there's another level above you. You hit the salary goal and the cost of living goes up. You achieve recognition in one area, and now there's a new mountain decline.

For trauma survivors, this creates a particular kind of exhaustion because we're not just chasing a moving target, we're doing it while managing something most people don't see. We're regulating our nervous systems, we're navigating triggers, we're doing the invisible work of staying present and functional, while our bodies sometimes tell us we're still in danger.

I had a client once tell me: I finally got the job I thought would make me feel successful, and all I felt was relief that I could stop pretending I had it together. [00:03:00] Then I realized: now I have to keep pretending at an even higher level. That broke my heart, because that's what happens when we adopt success definitions that weren't designed for us. We spend so much energy trying to reach a finish line that we don't realize the race itself is harming us.

So let me ask you something: what if success isn't a destination at all? What if it's not about arriving somewhere, but about how you're traveling? What if the question isn't, have I made it, but am I becoming who I want to be while pursuing what I want to achieve?

This shift changes everything because suddenly success isn't about comparing yourself to others or meaning external benchmarks. It's about alignment between your actions and your values, between your ambitions and your capacity, between who you're [00:04:00] becoming and who you want to be.

And here's what's beautiful about this: you can be successful right now today, exactly where you are, not because you've arrived somewhere, but because you're moving with intention towards something meaningful while honoring what you need to stay whole.

Here's how I define success for trauma survivors in their careers. Success is making intentional progress toward meaningful goals while honoring your capacity and supporting your continued healing.

Let me say that again. Success is making intentional progress toward meaningful goals while honoring your capacity and supporting your continued healing.

Let me break that down because every word matters.

First intentional progress. This means you're making choices aligned with your values, not just reacting to what [00:05:00] trauma tells you to do.

You're moving forward with purpose, even if that forward movement looks different from month to month or year to year.

Intentional progress might mean staying in your current role while you build emotional regulation skills. It might even mean taking a sideways career move that better aligns with your values. It might mean saying no to opportunities that look good on paper, but would compromise your healing.

Second, meaningful goals. Not just any goals. Goals that actually matter to you, not goals trauma has convinced you to pursue for safety or acceptance. This is crucial because trauma can hijack our goal setting.

Sometimes we pursue achievement to prove we're not damaged. Sometimes we stay small to avoid being seen. Sometimes we people please our way into career paths that were never [00:06:00] ours to begin with.

Meaningful goals come from your authentic self-- the part of you that exists beyond trauma responses. They connect to your values, your strengths, and the impact you want to create in the world.

Third, honoring your capacity. This is where trauma-informed success diverges most dramatically from traditional metrics. Your capacity isn't fixed. It changes based on your nervous system state, your current life circumstances, your stage of healing. Some seasons you have more to give. Some seasons you're doing well just to maintain Success means working with your capacity, not against it. It means recognizing that pushing past your limits doesn't build character-- it creates burnout and retraumatization.

And finally, supporting your continued healing. This is non-negotiable in a [00:07:00] trauma-informed definition of success. Your career should support your healing, not undermine it. Every professional decision you make should be evaluated not just by how it advances your career, but by how it impacts your well-being and recovery journey.

This doesn't mean your career takes a backseat to healing. It means you recognize their interconnected. The skills you build in therapy translate to professional strengths. The boundaries you set at work protect your emotional capacity. The self-advocacy you practice in your career reinforces your healing.

Now, here's something really important. Success looks different depending on where you are in your healing journey, and that's not just okay, it's actually wise. Let me share what success might look like at three different points in your journey.[00:08:00] 

If you're just beginning your healing journey, success might look like getting through difficult work days without major trauma responses. It might be maintaining your job despite trauma symptoms. Setting one healthy boundary without guilt. Asking for help when you need it.

This is real success. You are building the foundation necessary for everything that comes later. And I want you to hear this: You're not behind. You're exactly where you need to be, doing exactly what's required for sustainable growth.

Once you've stabilized and have gotten some healing under your belt, success starts to look different. You might be translating your trauma recovery skills into professional assets. Building authentic confidence and visibility. Creating meaningful professional relationships. Making career decisions that align with your [00:09:00] values while managing your energy.

Success here is about integration. Bringing your whole self, including your trauma-informed wisdom into your professional identity.

 And when you've been at the healing journey for some time. Success takes on an even broader dimension. You're creating systemic change in your organization. Mentoring other trauma survivors. Using your platform for meaningful impact. Building a legacy that transforms how workplaces support healing and growth. At this point, your personal success becomes inseparable from your contribution to collective healing.

Cyndi: The key insight here? These aren't better or worse, they're developmentally appropriate. Someone just beginning their healing journey isn't less successful than someone creating systemic change. They're both succeeding at what their current capacity and [00:10:00] healing stage allows.

And here's something beautiful: each stage builds on the previous one. The regulation skills you build early become the foundation for the confidence you develop later. That confidence becomes the platform for the leadership you eventually step into.

So how do you create your own trauma-informed definition of success? Let me share some key components you might want to consider.

First, identify what matters to you beyond external validation. What do you care about when no one's watching? What impact do you want to create? What kind of person do you want to be in your professional sphere? These questions help you distinguish between authentic goals and trauma driven achievement.

Second, acknowledge your whole journey, not just the destination. Traditional [00:11:00] success focuses on outcomes. Trauma-informed success honors the process. The skills you're building. The patterns you're changing. The courage it takes to show up authentically. These are all measures of success.

Third, build in sustainability from the start. Success that requires you to sacrifice your well-being isn't real success-- it's just delayed burnout. Your definition should include markers for sustainable practices like managing boundaries, managing energy, protecting recovery time, staying connected to your support system.

And finally, give yourself permission to redefine success as you grow. Your definition today doesn't have to be your definition forever. As your healing progresses, as your capacity grows, as your understanding [00:12:00] deepens, your definition of success can evolve to.

I want to leave you with this: the world needs your version of success. Not the watered-down trauma-ignoring version that traditional career advice pushes. The real version-- the one that honors your healing, leverages your wisdom, and creates sustainable impact.

So I invite you to take some time this week to define what success really means for you. Not what it should mean. Not what it means for others. What it means for you, in this season, with your unique history and beautiful complexity.

And if you want support in this work-- if you're ready to build a career that honors both your ambition and your healing-- I invite you to schedule a discovery call with me.

We can explore where you are in your journey and how the Resilient Career Academy might support your next steps. The link to schedule a [00:13:00] discovery call is in the show notes.

Thank you for joining me today. Remember, your healing journey isn't a detour from your career path-- it's part of what makes you an extraordinary professional.

Until next time, keep building your resilient career.

You're not walking this path alone. Every step you take toward a trauma-wise career is an act of courage, and I'm here cheering you on. If today's episode resonated with you, share it with another survivor who needs to hear this message. Together we're rewriting the rules of career success. Keep rising, keep healing, keep building.