When dreaming into the future and setting goals, it’s easy to be seduced by the desire to win awards or competitions.
I think it’s totally fine to desire this; excellence should be rewarded! The tricky thing is, whether we win something or not is really not up to us. There are so many variables and if we hinge all our hopes on some arbitrary award, we could be setting ourselves up for dissapointment.
I’ve heard actors I know talk about wanting to win an Oscar, for instance. Again- there’s nothing wrong with this, give it a go!
I’m suggesting a slight shift in focus that allows us to win no matter what. It’s like with marathons, they say by the time you hit the start line on race day, you’ve actually already got what you came for. It’s the training that led up to that moment. It’s the culminated effort- it’s the distinctions made and learnings along the way that are the real gold medal.
And no, this isn’t ‘loser talk’. The real win is who you become in pursuit of any goal.
Don’t aim to be the person who wins the Oscar, aim to be the type of person who could win the Oscar.
The type of person who could win the gold medal.
The type of person who could write a Pulitzer winner.
Can you see the difference? One is in your control and one isn’t.
The pursuit of being the type of person who could achieve the things you want puts the responsibility and possibility of achieving the thing squarely on your shoulders.
And better still, if you never win an award in your life, you’ll still have the character, identity, beliefs, capabilities and actions of the type of person you want to me. And you’ll have the respect of the only person whose respect you ever need:
You.
What would you need to believe about yourself to be that person?
What would you need to believe about your work to be that person?
What would you need to do on a daily basis?
What skills would you need?
What resources do you already have access to?
All these questions and answers are completely in your control. Cool, aye?
