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Why ambitious visionary leaders need a different kind of measurement at this stage of growth.
There’s a rhythm many ambitious people know well.
Set the goal.
Hit the metric.
Repeat.
You move forward by systems. Measure by output. Track your value in visible ways.
That worked—until it didn’t.
The structure you once thrived in starts to feel too small. The metrics that used to give you feedback now feel hollow. It’s not burnout. It’s not confusion. It’s evolution.
Success metrics tend to be external, inherited, and systematized. They were designed for scalability, for performance, for progress you can chart and present. Most of us were trained to operate inside of them. They’re helpful—until they flatten something essential.
At some point, though, the system stops making sense. You’re no longer moved by what can be measured. Something quieter begins to rise. It’s harder to quantify but impossible to ignore.
These are Significance Signals.
They don’t track output. They track alignment.
They emerge when the old structure no longer fits, and you begin to navigate by something internal. They move differently. Not according to goals or external timelines—but by resonance, integrity, timing, truth.
And at first, you might try to interpret them through the only lens you’ve known. You reach for the familiar tools– outcomes, systems, plans. You try to fold these new signals into an old way of monitoring.
But significance doesn’t compress like that.
Trying to force it into inherited metrics creates friction. It can feel gritty. Disorienting. Even like something’s wrong.
That discomfort isn’t a problem to fix. It’s a sign you’ve outgrown the old measurement system. The signal is clear—it’s time to build your own.
When you haven’t yet named a new metric, and the old one no longer fits, you’re left in a space that requires discernment. This is the work. Not to push through, but to listen. To design something that aligns with who you are now—not who you used to be.
A client recently shared a moment like this.
He simply said, “I didn’t eat the bag of chips.”
This wasn’t about food. It represented an old pattern—a way back into comfort, habit, or a quieter kind of resignation. A subtle default. And that day, he didn’t choose it.
He chose something else. He chose himself. He became aware.
That moment became a marker. Not because it could be measured. But because it mattered.
This is what significance often looks like. Not louder. Not bigger. Just more true.
When you’re in this phase of life or work, older metrics will feel misaligned for a reason. You’ve stopped needing someone else’s system to tell you who you are or how far you’ve come.
You’ve started listening for something more honest.
It might not follow the old rhythm. It might not make sense to anyone else. But you’ll know.
And that will be enough.
If this resonates—if you’re an ambitious, visionary leader navigating the edge of evolution, and you’re feeling the dissonance between success metrics and significance signals—this might be the conversation you’ve been craving.
Join me inside The Significance Project, where we explore what it means to design a life that’s deeply aligned, intentional, and yours.
Sign up for the newsletter here.
Jen Karofsky | Thought Partner & Coach for Visionary Leaders & Significance Seekers
Jen Karofsky collaborates with leaders who are ready to disrupt the status quo and craft a life of legacy, deep connection, and purposeful impact. Through intentional coaching and bold thought partnership, Jen helps you align your work, your values, and your vision to create transformational change in your world.
Join The Significance Project to redefine success and step into your power.
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