Your Effort Doesn't Guarantee Your Outcome.
#1959
Your effort doesn't guarantee your outcome.
I know, it's not an alluring thing to say, but I believe it deeply.
Life has no obligation to give you anything, no matter your effort or hustle.
Just think of all those athletes giving all they have in training, only to fall short of victory by a fraction of a second.
Your effort doesn't guarantee the outcome you desire, but it creates the possibility for it to happen.
And that is what truly matters.
So your work, your effort, your hustle; it's all fundamental, as long as you accept that success is not a given.
That's why I believe it's essential to find meaning in the process itself, in the work, in the effort, in the sweat.
The outcome is the North Star that gives direction to your journey, but the meaning must be found in every step you take to get there.
I'm writing this to myself, mostly. Because I often forget it when I want something badly. I can become so obsessed with the outcome that I forget to find meaning and joy in what I do to get there. Yet, the most rewarding experiences I can remember are the ones where I enjoyed the process so much that the outcomes were nothing more than the cherry on the cake. Sometimes the journey is the only thing I remember, more vivid than any result.
What's one thing you're working toward right now where you could find a little more meaning in today's step?
P.S. Now that I think about it, writing is one of those things where the process is so meaningful that sometimes I forget I achieved the result! Like with my last book, Becoming the Mentor! So, check it out, the book itself is about a meaningful journey.