focus on the pursuit, not the achievement

Sooner or later, we all go through times when things just fall into place. Life seems easy and comfortable. We are engulfed with joy, success, and fulfillment, and feel like we’re on top of the world. 

Maybe you secure a high-paying job with an easy and steady schedule. You buy your dream car. Your finances reach an all-time high. You have a beautiful partner and wonderful friends to share experiences with. Everything in life seems to click.

And then things start changing. You accumulate new hobbies and expenses, and the high-paying job becomes a regular one, and the pay just isn’t enough. You start losing enthusiasm for your job. Your dream car just becomes an accessory. Your finances take a dip. You realize that your relationship is coming to an end and you have to move on. The people close to you move fade away from your life. And you learn that most of your friendships were hollow and never genuine or meaningful. 

Your “perfect” life crumbles, and then you’re back to ground zero. And you have no option but to rebuild. 

We all wish our life could be a Disney fairytale, but the truth is that it’s not. Life is fickle. You never truly know what it has in store for you in the future. And that’s why it’s important that we stay away from the trap of becoming too comfortable. 

Settling is not an option. You have to be your best and give your best irrespective of what’s going on in your life. Success requires daily work and commitment. 

As Josh Ellis, editor-in-chief of SUCCESS magazine, writes, “The universe doesn’t award anyone the gifts of lifelong success. They have to be earned over and over. Joy and fulfillment are moving targets, as are health and wealth. So considering that we must constantly work to achieve these pillars of success, we better learn to be comfortable not in achievement itself but in the pursuit of achievement.”