The Mindset Shift That Changed My Career: Why Fixating on Goals Doesn’t Help

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Would you read a book titled,

The Decades-Long Apprentice: The Ultimate Guide to Permanent Uncertainty and Self-Doubt

I certainly wouldn’t. I’m sure you wouldn’t either. Why not? Because we all want results and, typically, we want them quickly. We are constantly on the lookout for shortcuts, the fastest way to achieve our goals. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this—finding creative ways to get annoying chores done quickly is always a good idea. But when it comes to personal goals, this mindset can be absolutely detrimental. Let me explain why by sharing a personal story.

My Bumpy Start at Uni

To put it mildly, my performance during my first year at university was a total and utter disaster. I was supposed to complete something like 12 exams, but I barely managed pass 3.

The reason? I entertained myself with all sorts of activities, some “elevated” and others much less so. I'd do anything but what I was supposed to be doing—studying, that is. The result? Me panicking exactly 3 days before each exam, realizing it was too late to fix things with a couple of all-nighters, having an existential crisis, followed by a series of desperate attempts to find any possible hack to get through the exam.

Unsurprisingly, most of the time it didn’t work. On those rare occasions when it did, the results were not what I’d hoped for. I thought I’d feel liberated and somewhat smarter—I was able to “beat the system”, after all, right!? But it felt nothing like that. I just felt stressed, depleted, and guilty.

I approached my studies as a struggle between me and “the system”. On the other side of this struggle was my degree in computer engineering. Exams were obstacles in the way of my goal. But that was just a self-made delusion. The reality was quite different.

I had chosen to be there. No one was forcing me to get a degree in computer engineering—it was my deliberate choice. But, most importantly, what I failed to realize was that earning a degree was not the point—it was about what I’d learn and who I’d become. I was there for the knowledge and skills I’d acquire. Receiving a degree at the end of the path was merely a consequence of my expertise and understanding of the subject.

The final goal is important because it gives you direction, but the real growth and life change happen during the journey. That’s why taking shortcuts doesn’t make sense!

The journey matters as much as the final goal.

I still remember the precise day I finally realized this. That’s when everything changed for me. I began to see studying in a completely different light. Exams turned from obstacles into gateways for learning. I started feeling enriched by the new ideas and concepts I acquired along the way. There was no “system” to beat. I was on my self-improvement journey, and that was it! If I cheated, it wasn't the system that was losing; it was me!

Since then, whenever I set goals for myself in life or at work, I try to approach them this way. Instead of looking for shortcuts, I spend a lot of time picking the right goals. That way, I’m sure I’ll enjoy the long journey there. And if I never actually achieve them, at least I had a nice, enriching ride.

Doing Hard Things

Isn’t all of this obvious!? It is! So why do posts like, “This guys makes $800 a day working from the beach in Bali” go viral, or why do we expect to land a job just because we speed-ran through an online course and got a certification?

I’ll tell you why. It’s because we forget that it’s in the journey where the “magic” actually happens. Get-rich-quick schemes and life hacks hardly ever work in real life. And when they do, they deprive you of the chance to acquire the knowledge and skills truly required for a life change.

While gaining certifications, master's degrees, MBAs, PhDs, and all sorts of titles is good, ultimately it’s your skills, competence, and expertise that actually move you forward.

So, if you truly want to grow as a person, improve your expertise, expand your knowledge, and be impactful, don’t skip the hard work—lean into it! Do hard things!

If you find yourself always looking for the quickest way out of what you’re currently doing, maybe it’s a sign you’re stuck in the wrong place. If you feel that way, change!

As you set goals for yourself, don’t fixate solely on the final outcome; think of the learning journey. Consider how it will improve you, make you a better person, and enrich you. Once you’ve set your goal, make every moment of your journey count, because that’s where the transformation truly happens.

Conclusions

That is all for now. I hope you enjoyed this post. If you did, please let me know by leaving a comment or sharing it with a friend.

If there’s a topic you’d like me to cover in a future issue, feel free to send me a message. I read them all. I’m always looking for feedback, suggestions, and new ideas.

Thanks for reading. See you next week. ????

Cheers,

Fusco

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