Mistaking Activity For Accomplishment Is To Be Avoided

I’m still on vacation but it’s been so hot here in the Austin, TX area that I’ve spent as much time indoors as I have outside. Who am I kidding? I’ve been inside way more than outside.  

I wanted to type something out to get back in the groove. 

I’ve wasted a lot of years of my life. Some may look at the amount of content I put out, the successes I’ve had, and think that in my day jobs I probably excelled. For the most part, that’s just not true. I have not only failed a lot, but been lackluster in certain pursuits. I was always willing to settle for little accomplishments that moved me a step up, vs. large victories that made me jump several rungs up the ladder. I was given several little promotions that HR told me would be considerable leaps in pay and title if I just finished my degree. I always settled. Looking back on it is frustrating.  

It wasn’t until less than a decade ago that I made a decision to strive for positions that were seemingly out of my reach. A couple of them were handed to me. Not because I finished my degree, but because I just had a change of attitude and started demanding the position I wanted. I honestly don’t believe I’d still be podcasting without that switch in attitude those years ago. I just knew that if I was going to get good at podcasting and providing commentary, I had to keep doing it. I still feel like I have a lot to achieve, but I believe I now have momentum that is considerable.  

The thing about “settling” is that it becomes a part of you. I believed my little promotions were actual accomplishments but the raises didn’t even cover inflation. The additional status? There was none. There was always a Honeymoon period where I convinced myself I had achieved greatness. Then reality set in. When you achieve something that has no tangible way of making any real change, you will eventually come crashing down. I speak from experience. 

Time and wealth are two finite resources that should be guarded jealously. Some people think putting in a ton of work to achieve a status that causes no change is to be celebrated. Marx’s Labor Theory of Value should come to mind. No, having a goal going forward and being able to articulate the steps is crucial. But first, the goal must be achievable. Then, it must be worthwhile. Believe me, there is nothing more demoralizing than succeeding at the first step and then realizing everything you’ve sacrificed is for naught. Take it from someone who’s been there many times.