A: 100%! Or, maybe 75%.
Ever wondered if all your hard work is really worth it? Whether “good enough” might just be… good enough? Before you give up on your big goal, there’s something important you should know.
At some point, almost everyone who is pushing hard towards a big goal wonders whether it is really worth it.
It can be exhausting. And when you look around at people who seem content to simply be where they are — enjoying their free time, not grinding away — the easier path can look very appealing.
What would happen if you just… stopped? If you lowered your expectations and decided that good enough was enough?
I tried it once.
I gave myself permission to join what I privately called the 75% Club — the people who were doing okay, but not pushing for anything higher. And it was wonderful… for about two weeks.
Then the flatness set in. Not relief — flatness. The idea of not working towards something felt bleak in a way I hadn’t expected.
It turns out there’s research behind that feeling. Research on hope, resilience, and wellbeing shows that having something meaningful to work towards — a future goal, a sense of purpose — actually brings greater joy and satisfaction right now. Even before you’ve arrived at your goal!
In other words, the pursuit itself is part of what keeps us well.
Before you walk away from your big goal, it is worth understanding what you might actually be walking away from.
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