Daily Gratitude: “Celebrate effort and learning, not just outcomes. Progress is happening even when results aren’t visible get.”

I’ve been sitting with this idea for two weeks now – since I dropped from the race. I put pretty much everything I had into the past year getting ready for vol state 2026. After all, I had something to “prove”.

All that time. All that effort. And for what? I didn’t even come near finishing the race.

Was it all wasted? I’m not totally sure yet. But I don’t think so.

Sure I wanted to finish the race. I thought it might be my last. And i certainly wanted to show that my cruddy finish in 2025 wasn’t because of my age but because i made a mistake.

The most important thing I can do is figure out the lessons that came from that year of obsession, not to focus on the fact that I didn’t succeed. If I can ferret out the lessons, there will be sustained value regardless of the outcome.

What did i learn from the process? What progress did that process (or processes) make? How can i, or have I, apply these lessons to everyday life? All that we gain and learn is much more valuable if it’s something we can apply day in and day out, not just once.

I need to dissect the year and pull the nuggets. That will make the effort worthwhile no matter the outcome.

How can you apply this in your life? What have you learned as you’ve plodded and plotted in your attempts?