How’s it going, gang? So, if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’ve been reading The Success Myth by Emma Gannon. Obsessed.
On this lovely, slow Sunday, I’d love to share my little review of this antidote to ‘I’ll-sleep-when-I’m-dead’ hustle culture.
📘 Review: The Success Myth by Emma Gannon
Oh, Emma Gannon. One of my absolute favorite writers and podcasters, and an all-around creative powerhouse.
With her sixth book, The Success Myth, Emma cuts through the glossy facade of Instagrammable achievement (ew), unravelling the mental and physical costs that come with it, and helping us redefine what true success is.
🙄 It’s not you, it’s everything else
It literally is. The Success Myth does a great job breaking down how our obsession with traditional markers of success and the never-ending chase for achievement is not an individual issue, but a product of the structures embedded in society. An ‘it’s not me, it’s you’ situation.
From our parents to our jobs and the education system that taught us early on to thirst after top marks and the praise that comes with it, the game is rigged from the start.
🏅 Finding success on your own terms
Drawing on a mix of personal experiences and insights from guests interviewed on her podcast, Ctrl Alt Delete, this book takes us on a thought-provoking exploration of society’s obsession with success, and how we might break free from its vice grip.
Each chapter rounds off with some helpful questions to get you thinking about your relationship with success, and how you might take small steps towards redefining it.
💜 A book for everyone
The Success Myth is a book for everyone. While it particularly speaks to the (presumably exhausted) success junkies out there, Emma covers enough ground to make it relevant to a wider audience.
Above all, this book feels like a friend placing a hand on your shoulder and saying, ‘I get it.’ The number of times I’ve felt a sigh of relief, or thought to myself, ‘Yes! Exactly! Why is this like this!?’
✨ Final thoughts
The Success Myth is about 320 pages of comfort and gentle guidance. In the final pages, Emma, a self-proclaimed ‘recovering success addict’, encourages us to find joy in the ordinary and savor the quiet joys of an authentic (maybe less online) life. Just enjoy the ride, whatever that may look like for you.
To break free from the achievement trap, she urges us to take a step back, slow down, and think about what we are working towards, and why. It's time to challenge the status quo and embrace a different approach to success.
So, grab a copy, kick back with your favourite drink, and get ready to have a weight lifted off your shoulders.
My rating: The limit does not exist. Go forth, read, enjoy.
☀️ Sunny songs for the soul
Picture this. It’s a sunny day, you’re off work. You’ve got your sunglasses on and a cold drink dripping with condensation on a table next to you. Maybe you’re reading a book, or chatting to a friend. Maybe you’re enjoying a breather, solo.