What If You’ve Already Won?

Have you ever hit a big goal and thought, “I did it! … what’s next?”

You spend months (or years) chasing it. You finally get there, you cross the finish line and the feeling... doesn’t last. Almost immediately, your brain is asking: okay, now what?

For a while, I thought that meant I would never be satisfied. That maybe I was broken for never feeling “done.”

But what I’ve realized is the opposite: I’m happiest in the pursuit.

The real dopamine isn’t at the finish line. It’s during the race itself. Waking up with an idea, putting it to the test, making progress, and building proof every day that you’re moving closer to it. 

That’s the high. That’s the drug.

If the payout just landed in my lap, would it feel the same? Maybe for a while. But the truth is, when I picture it, I don’t imagine stopping... I imagine pouring it straight into the next dream, the next goal, the next pursuit.

Maybe you’ve felt that too. That the joy comes not when you “arrive,” but when you’re in motion. When you’re learning, creating, trying, and putting everything you have into something that matters.

Here’s the truth: if you can find happiness in the pursuit, you’ve already won.

The results will come. The finish line will be there. But the real magic? It’s in the steps you’re taking today, so don’t forget to enjoy them.