I don’t care whether or not I end up buying the New York Jets. (And no, this has nothing to do with their current standing this season)
The truth is, I just love the climb. I love the sweat, the long hours, the uncertainties, and the grind. Nothing in life comes easy, and when we’re dealing with something as huge as a lifetime goal, it’s likely that things will change throughout that journey — but that’s okay. It’s part of the process. And that process is what I love so much.
I’ve said it a few times before — the day that I actually buy the Jets is going to make me incredibly upset, because the climb will be “over.” That’s what really worries me — Because, then what?
By creating such a heavy north star, I never have to reset my goals. I’m a very big “shoot for the moon / land in the stars” type of guy. Always having that north star has allowed me to be a much more honorable and legacy-driven entrepreneur because now I’m trying to reach this gigantic goal of mine and do so with grace and dignity.
This north star that I’ve set for myself is a mechanism I use for a lot of things. Not only do the Jets represent to me what it meant to become an American, but it’s also the ultimate Kickstarter campaign. If I get to an age where I don’t think I can buy the Jets on my own, I believe that the way I built this narrative will guilt people into helping me make that dream come true.
And so, the honest truth is that I don’t really give a sh*t about whether or not I end up buying the Jets. (But now, since I’ve gotten that out there, everybody is going to really freak out when I actually do buy the team. I’m smart like that.) For me though, the real win is in the process, the journey. Whether implicit or explicit, we all have incredible goals for ourselves. Some of us will achieve them and others won’t. And that’s perfectly fine. The key takeaway in establishing these goals is how we handled ourselves and those around us during that process. What relationships did we create? What stories can we tell? Whose lives did we affect for the better? That’s what matters. It’s not about the glory of reaching a personal goal, it’s about the glory of relishing the journey and sharing in that accomplishment with those that helped us get there.
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Thanks for reading! If you have a friend who dreams big (or is a disappointed Jets fan) I really think you should share this with them. 😉
