Actions vs Outcomes
We all have goals and things we want to achieve, and so we should. It’s important to set goals. But measure your success by the actions you take towards achieving those goals, not by the outcomes of your actions or the goals you achieve.
You can set goals but if your happiness depends on whether you achieve that goal or not, then you are doomed to unhappiness.
If you achieve the goal, that’s great, but we all know what it’s like to achieve a goal. At first it is wonderful but very soon after ‘normality’ returns to our life, and deep down we are the same person we were before we achieved the goal. Fundamentally not much has changed.
If you don’t achieve the goal, then you consider yourself a loser and you didn’t try hard enough, or you look for people or circumstances to blame for why you didn’t achieve it.
There are so many things outside your control that will decide whether you achieve your goal or not. Take solace in your actions, doing the things that you can control. That is what you should take pride in, the fact you did what you could, with what you had, where you were. You gave it the best shot you could. Then whether you achieve it or not, you can rest easy knowing you could have done no more.
