3x3: On Loving the Journey, Playing to Win & Mastering Perfectionism

Hi, it’s Tom. I hope you’re enjoying the end of the year and making the most of it!

This week we’ll talk about how to approach success, risk, and excellence. And how a slight mindset shift can turn obstacles into strength.

Here are 3 ideas to challenge and inspire you this week:

1. Success Becomes Inevitable When You Love the Journey

If you only love the reward, you’ll stop the moment things get hard. Whereas if you fall in love with the process, the grind, the craft itself, your success becomes inevitable.

Athletes who crave the sweat, entrepreneurs who crave the challenge, writers who crave the solitude. They all win because their effort is their reward.

The truth is that the best results come when you love both: the process and the prize. But it starts with the journey. Without it, the destination is just a fantasy, and you’ll give up way too early to make the reward accessible.

Question: Do you enjoy the steps it takes to achieve your goals? If not, what do you need to do immediately to change that? Do it.

2. Playing to Win vs. Playing Not to Lose

Are you protecting what you have at all costs, or creating something greater? Most people spend their lives playing defense. They try to keep things safe, predictable, under control. They value security and certainty above all else. They aren't winners as fear dictates their lives.

The real winners play offense. They take risks. They aim higher. Not because it’s easy (it never is!) but because it’s worth it. The biggest risk in life is taking no risk, and deep down we all know it too well.

The moment we shift from avoiding loss to creating wins, everything changes. Fear shrinks. Courage grows. You stop surviving and you start thriving.

Question: Where in your life are you playing defense? What’s one bold move you can take to burn the boats and play offense this week? Make this change.

3. Perfectionism Isn’t the Enemy

Perfectionism has a terrible reputation. But it can be your greatest strength.

Perfectionists see what others miss. They naturally spot the flaws, the gaps, the opportunities for improvement. They make the process of getting better automatic. It’s so clear in their mind that it’s a game they play. It’s a gift, not a curse.

And the problem isn’t perfectionism itself. It’s our inability to control it. Drop the fear of not being good enough. Channel your drive for excellence. Shift your focus to improvement and how good you’ll be in the future. And you’ll turn excellence into a question of time instead of a question of capability.

Question: What would happen if you learned to make perfectionism your superpower? What if you stopped using it as an excuse for not making progress at all?

One Final Thought

This is the last time we speak here in 2024. The year is almost over, and an amazing one is about to begin.

So, now is the time for me to encourage you to make one decision. A big one. A scary one. One that will keep you awake at night and won’t let you go. Yes, the one that came up right now. Don’t try to forget about it, it’s this exact one you need to commit to! Commit to it right now and take action starting next year. That’s how you’ll make the most progress you’ve ever made in your life.

Safe choices build safe lives. Bold ones build extraordinary lives. Seek extraordinary lives, not safe ones.

À l’année prochaine!

Tom