The Value of Effort0

Goals do not define a man.

Goals are merely just a sign post on the journey.

I was recently inspired by one of my mates, who shared his thoughts on this. I found it genuinely valuable.

While we’re all running around and chasing our goals. We fail to acknowledge the good work we put in prior to the goal.

We only give it some sort of acknowledgement once we’ve reached our goal. But do we really feel happy about that effort if we eventually didn’t achieve the final goal? Most likely not.

The majority of people do not appreciate the value of effort. Simply because there is no sense of achievement other than the action itself.

We are brought up by judging ourselves based on results. Heck we are the results of our parents deciding to have sex one night. We are the results of our parents wanting to have a child in their lives (Well most of us I believe). We are so focused on the final result that it doesn’t matter if our performance was pleasing or not.

As long as we reach the goal. The struggle to reach it is irrelevant. The aim is reaching the goal. But we all know that sometimes goals changes and sometimes we never reach them.

Does that mean the effort behind it all was to no use?

It’s all about the results. Our society is geared towards it. It doesn’t matter if you perform well, if you don’t have anything to show for it.

I’m a result-based man. I’m not going to deny that. I like to have tangible results in my hands and being able to cross over things on my to-do-list.

Yet, I’ve come to appreciate the value of effort. The value of just taking pure and simple action and doing what must be done, even if you don’t get the results you want the first time around.

If you are too results focused, it can affect your performance when you are not getting the results you want.

Because you are so obsessed with results that you fail to see the bigger picture.

That is especially true for us that are trying to break out of the 9/5 jobs or just dived into new business venture.

In the beginning. You know nothing. You hear all the success stories.

So you work at it. You work hard.

But you see no results.

You get disheartened when your business has been up for 3 months and business is painfully slow.

Then you might decide to give up. Telling yourself this was not your scene or any irrelevant excuse for your lack of results.

But if you just continued working. Found pride in that you put up a business up. Focused on the art of executing your daily task.

Not letting the lack of pleasing results affect your mood.

Then maybe, just maybe your business would’ve seen an upswing in fortunes.

Value of Effort in it’s purest form

There’s no way we can completely remove our result based urge. We are simply wired this way.

But we can make a conscious effort in doing things simply for the value of doing.

I also like to include a term I like to call “Taking right action”. Meaning you simply just do what is right for you, even if you don’t feel like it or the chances of a favorable result are minimal.

When you’re too afraid to approach this overly attractive woman, who’s surrounded by 10 guys. You know your chances are slim at best. You most likely won’t even get her to notice you.

But somewhere in your body, your inner man tells you to do it. You know if you don’t do it you’ll just be protecting your ego from failure. You’ll “pussy out”.

So you take action. You do what your core is telling you. You walk up and introduce yourself. Doesn’t matter if it goes well or not, but simple action of you taking action is enough. Going after what your

core tells you to do, facing your own fears and emotional comfort zones. Feeling the immediate relief and pride of your own action that is the value of effort my friend.

This is also why I have a daily to-do-list that makes me feel good every time I complete the list.

You can find an example of my list in an earlier article here.

I simply do these small task. Which eventually leads to a bigger goal.

But I acknowledge every hard earned step I take. I give myself that crucial pat on the back and allow myself to feel good about it.

Whether your list includes laundering, cleaning up your place, reading a book, jogging or simply doing things slightly out of your way for others.

Pride yourself and your actions. Every action. Every effort is brick in your wall towards your ultimate goal in life.

Which is generally becoming a better person and living a better life.

So stop discrediting the smaller efforts you make. Highlight them and value them.

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