Enough - #17

“It doesn’t matter what position you find yourself in right now. What matters is whether you improve your position today. Every ordinary moment is an opportunity to make the future easier or harder.” — Shane Parrish

Let’s be honest – it's never going to feel like enough. And that’s okay.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea lately. When will it be enough and why do I keep pushing so hard – in my career, in the gym, and in life?

It's not because I’m ungrateful. I'm proud of what I’ve built. I just know I'm capable of more.

That drive for more? It’s not a flaw.

We’re not wired for stagnation. There’s no finish line where you stop and say, “Alright, I’m good now.”

The catch is making sure your pursuit of “more” is actually aligned with who you are. A bigger house isn’t bad. But if you’re buying it just to prove something to someone else, you’ve lost the plot.

The question isn’t “Do I want more?” It’s “Why?”

“Show Me the Money” – Jerry Maguire

There’s research that says most people define “enough” as about 2x what they currently earn. And when I hear someone talk about how this is a bad thing, I think “That’s not greed, it’s just human nature.” You hit a level, and suddenly a new one comes into view.

It’s not a bad thing. You’re not broken. You’re moving to the next level. Yes, the goal posts have shifted, but maybe it’s because you moved up leagues.

That said – don’t lose sight of the big picture. Chasing more money, status, or stuff at the expense of your values? That’s not progress.

Keep climbing. But remember what matters. Be relentlessly focused on the “why” behind those goals. Otherwise your search for more becomes a directionless journey out to sea.

The Trophy

There’s a clip of world #1 golfer Scottie Scheffler talking about how little fulfillment he gets from winning golf tournaments. [Watch here]

Some people hear that and feel disappointed, but I interpret it a little differently.

The win isn’t the point. The work is.

The satisfaction comes from showing up day after day – grinding, improving, chasing your edge, and having his family along for the ride. The trophy is just a timestamp.

The summit isn’t the end. It’s just the next launch point.

Sisyphus

You may have heard the story of Sisyphus – a man in Greek mythology condemned to roll a boulder up a hill forever, only to have it roll back down every time he was near the top.

That’s not your life. It might feel like you’re always pushing uphill, but your boulder doesn’t roll back (or at least not all the way back down.” You’ve built momentum along the way.

Thinking of it differently – you hit the top of one hill, and now you see the next one. So, you start pushing again. Not because you're chasing something you’ll never catch – but because now you know you can summit that mountain and you want to see the view from the next peak.

Final Thought

Chasing more isn’t bad. Just don’t forget to look back and see how far you’ve come.

You’re not the same person who started this climb. Your goals evolved because you did. Keep going. But don’t lose the “why.”

Additional Resources & Reflections

• Book: From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks – [Buy here]

• Podcast: Modern Wisdom – Episode #964: Simon Sinek – How to Find Meaning When Life Feels Overwhelming – [Listen here]

• Stoic Quote of the Month: “Progress is not achieved by luck or accident, but by working on yourself daily.” – Epictetus

  • Every overnight success is made in the years leading up to that point.