Blogs by Ella Fisher

Success is a word you can define and experience in all kinds of ways. For me, success simply means: doing something that feels good and that you genuinely enjoy. For me, that’s writing. And whether I become a well-known author or not, I’ve already achieved success in my own eyes—because I’ve written four books. I’m proud of that.

But success can also be something small—like overcoming a fear, taking a leap of faith, or cooking a challenging new recipe.

Back in the day, I thought success meant “making it”: having a great career, earning a lot of money, owning a house, driving a nice car, and so on. But those are just material things. And yes, it’s a cliché—but the older you get, the more you realize those things don’t really matter that much.

For me, success definitely also includes being a mom. My children are the biggest gifts life has given me, and honestly, I think that’s the greatest success you can ever achieve. Looking back, I know this has helped shift how I see success. It has nothing to do with the material stuff I once thought mattered so much.

As humans, we’re very easily influenced—especially nowadays, with all the ‘perfect pictures’ flooding social media. It always seems like someone else has the perfect life and nothing ever goes wrong. But that’s simply not true. People choose not to show the harder parts or the messy journey behind their success. I think I sometimes get influenced by that without realizing it. Do you ever feel that way too?

Luckily, not everything affects me like that. Every now and then, I take a break from social media. That helps me refocus on what actually matters—my version of success. If you catch yourself constantly comparing your life to others and what they’ve achieved, I truly recommend stepping back. Because honestly? That’s not okay.

I’ve never really compared my life to a relative’s or a friend’s. If someone buys their dream home, drives a cool car, has an amazing hobby, or becomes a famous author—I’m genuinely happy for them.

What I find funny is that people often tell me I come across as really confident. Like, you’d never guess I’m nervous—at an event, or when I have to speak in front of a group. That impression alone helps things go well. It makes me seem capable and unafraid. But truthfully? I sometimes feel the complete opposite inside.

Right now, I don’t do much on social media—and that’s a conscious decision. But starting next year, I want to share more about what I’m up to day-to-day: mainly, writing. And by doing that, I think I can grow even more successful, because the more people read my work, the more my personal brand will grow (Ella Fisher).

Someone I really admire on social media is Jandino. He’s really made something out of his life. He recently emigrated, and that move inspires me deeply. Not necessarily to emigrate myself (I’d need to think long and hard about where I’d even go), but to just go for the things you want. Don’t let fear stop you. Take the leap. Just do it. You learn as you go.

He uses his social media in a powerful way. You get to know him as a real person—his values, how he sees life. And he shows what’s possible if you take that step. He reminds me: don’t be too hard on yourself, and above all, keep believing in yourself. I honestly think he’s one of the most powerful and wise people in the Netherlands. I’ll miss seeing him around here, but I’ll definitely keep following his journey on Instagram.

All in all, success to me means two things: achieving the goals I’ve set, and being content with what I already have. I’m curious—how do you define success? If you’re reading this, feel free to message me. I love connecting with people and sharing inspiration.

To me, success is also deeply tied to inner peace. Those two go hand in hand. If you’ve found peace within yourself, I believe you’re already successful.

But let me also say this: success doesn’t always feel good. For a while, I worked at a company where I got tons of compliments—but only when I worked harder and longer. On one hand, I thought: well, this is going great, and the salary is good. But on the other hand, I was heading straight toward burnout.

At some point, something inside you switches. You think: if this is what success means, then no thanks. You work to live—not the other way around (at least, that’s how I see it).

In the past, I believed I was a good singer (and honestly, I still hear that from people now and then). I was in a band, but when it really started to take off, I backed out. Stage fright kicked in, and I was scared people wouldn’t think I was good enough. So I gave up on that particular kind of success.

Sometimes you walk away from things, even when your mind is shouting, “You can do this—this will be a success!” But if it doesn’t feel right, always trust your intuition. That’s what I’ve learned.

And in the end, that choice worked out for the best. Because now I’m focused on what I’m truly passionate about—and where I can be successful: writing. It’s what I love most. It’s where I can be fully myself. And that, too, is a form of success.

If I had to explain success to ‘little Ella,’ I’d say this:
Follow your heart. Do what makes you happy. That’s where your true success lives.
Success isn’t measured in money—it’s about how something makes you feel. It’s about how you experienced it and how you got there.

If I try to peek into the future (not that I can, haha), I think I’ll still feel the same way. But then again, you’re never too old to learn, right? Maybe by then I’ll have gained even more beautiful insights to share. Maybe I’ll look back on age 0–50 and think: Wow, I really did all that. Those memories make me smile.

And to get there, I keep coming back to one thing—
Something I’ve written about in many blogs already:
Letting go.

Because by letting go of what no longer fits you, you create space to focus on what truly matters.
And that is the key to your own kind of success.

So—how successful are you?