A Leadership Short — Outcomes or Trajectory?

Are you on a path toward success?

“Result-driven,” “solution-oriented,” and “overachiever.” Are these phrases friends of yours?

Until recently, they were very close friends of mine. I’ve used all of them to dress up my resumes, biographies, and LinkedIn headlines.

Then I came across this passage from James Clear in his book Atomic Habits.

It doesn’t matter how successful or unsuccessful you are right now. What matters is whether your habits are putting you on the path toward success. You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.

Suddenly my “imposter” showed up. It’s not my goals — the outcomes — that matter. It's my behavior.

Those daily habits I unconsciously chain together determine my path — and ultimately, my destination.

Outcomes are just a stop along my journey toward success.