Not all of your work will result in the outcomes you want. It's funny. As I wrote that sentence, the thought hit me, "That's so obvious, but it's such an emotional challenge to embrace in real moments. Unfortunately, the people who disregard this as too obvious are the same ones who won't put in work unless the outcome is basically guaranteed."
Actions have aims. Sometimes those actions hit the mark, true to their aims. More frequently, they miss. Sometimes they barely miss. Other times, they miss by a wide margin. This is the fundamental essence of work, competition, and life.
I put every result into one of three categories:
- An experience containing lessons I will use in the future.
- A beneficial outcome that improves or advances something I care about, but didn’t create the outcome I want most.
- The ideal result I want.
Not all of my efforts will result in the outcomes I want, but nothing is a failure unless I fail to learn the lessons from the results of my effort.
Answer the call. Do the work.
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