Success
Is not a goal for its own sake
You want success. That’s great!
But striving for success for its own sake is not a great idea.
Consider WHY you want to win. If you succeed in getting that new job, what will you do with it? What changes if you are in that new role? How does that make things better for people? If the main reason you want to win boils down to “bragging rights,” then it’s probably not the best use of your time, and your success is probably not going to make the world a better place.
Also consider what you sacrifice when you are striving for that win. Is it worth it?
The classic example of this is “work/life balance.” If you put in extra time at work to get that promotion, what do you give up? Do you miss having a social life, or seeing your child take their first steps, or spending time with an aging relative while they are still with us?
If you are looking for a healthy win, it’s more likely to happen when you have taken the time to assess the impact and develop a vision for the outcome. If you strive for a promotion because you have some great ideas for how to lead the division, grow revenue, delight your clients, and expand into new markets while keeping your team motivated and engaged, then I want you to get that promotion! If you only want the promotion because you want to brag about it on LinkedIn or something, I’m not rooting for you.
Do a big-picture cost/benefit analysis of your goals. Sometimes, this will reignite your motivation and passion, e.g., “If we started doing X, it would be SO GREAT!” And sometimes you’ll realize that attaining that particular goal would be a hollow victory. And that is a great opportunity! You can now reflect on what DOES MATTER to you, and then set your sails toward those new destinations.