STRONGER TOGETHER: Success or wellbeing—why can’t we have both?

"STRONGER TOGETHER" is a weekly column where Tanya explores key issues. This week Tanya discusses how success and wellbeing can and should coexist, highlighting IMPACT's commitment to fostering both through resilience, adaptability, and meaningful community change.

By IMPACT Community Services Managing Director Tanya O'Shea

Generally, when we think about success and ‘successful people’, we assume that they possess something very special. It could be talent, perseverance, intelligence, specific skills, education, or maybe even influential connections. Perhaps, if we took this one step further and created a formula for what it takes to be successful, it could look something like the ability to out-work, out-think, out-skill or outlast other people.

The research, however, tells us something very different.

Success and wellbeing are often seen as separate goals, yet they share common qualities. The same traits that foster success also nurture wellbeing. Achieving wellbeing requires mental toughness—overcoming self-criticism and staying motivated. Setting personal goals and meeting them, like committing to exercise, is a form of success.

Yet, when people don’t meet their idea of success and start to feel unsuccessful, their mental toughness may deteriorate, their consistency may start to decline, or their belief in themselves starts to disappear. For some, it may manifest into other behaviours – they could become depressed, isolated, disconnected, develop unhealthy eating patterns, use alcohol or drugs to numb the pain or some may even experience suicide ideation.

It is not lost on me, that when we think about wellbeing, there are some dominant themes that emerge that are not only linked to the way that we view success, but they also underscore the work that we do at IMPACT.

At IMPACT, we aim to improve people’s lives by creating meaningful change. But this requires going beyond good intentions. Our work is about consistency, mental resilience, and collaboration, underpinned by a clear vision—one that emphasises autonomy and agency. We believe success in helping others thrive hinges on building independence, taking responsibility for wellbeing, and honouring the principle, "nothing about me without me."

Achieving our vision takes more than words. It requires strategic adaptability, a strong commitment to learning, and relentless effort. This is especially true amid social challenges like climate change, cost-of-living pressures, and mental health crises. Effective leadership means tackling what we can influence, forming meaningful partnerships, and finding new ways to address old problems.

Over the past year, we’ve increased our community involvement, sought partnerships, and learned from our setbacks. Failure doesn’t define us—it refines us, providing insights essential for our mission. And we know that sticking to the same routines yields the same results. By doing things differently, we open ourselves to new solutions.

True wellbeing involves rethinking habits and behaviours that may no longer serve us. Change, while uncomfortable, can also drive us to grow. When people embrace change, they often emerge with newfound resilience, inspiring similar shifts in others. Imagine the collective impact of enhancing mental health, education, economic security, and safety. By nurturing these, we elevate our community’s resilience.

At IMPACT, we support people in creating the change they seek. Through questions like, “How might this change what you’re capable of?” or “How might this change what you value?” we help others redefine their lives.

So, let’s shift the question from “Would you rather achieve success or wellbeing?” to “How can we achieve both?” Success and wellbeing aren’t either-or choices—they coexist as essential parts of a fulfilling life.