Chasing Ghosts: Achievement Without Fulfillment

Jake Luehrs
July 25, 2026

ONE QUESTION

Do you blame external factors for internal failures?

ONE THING TO PONDER

Learning is nothing more than correcting errors.

ONE PERSPECTIVE

You're right where you're supposed to be. And it’s completely ok if you don't believe any of this.

What achievements are you currently chasing that you’re convinced will make you happy?

….that title, house, promotion, relationship…the list goes on and on.

I'm convinced no external goal will make us happy. It will provide a hit of dopamine, but within a couple days or a week, our mind is already on to the next thing.

And I also know that most of us reading this have already hit the goals we said would make us happy...so there is live evidence that proves it!

We tend to steal our contentment, always thinking about what is missing or the next thing to accomplish. This has been my programming for decades...and I'm working towards the balance of contentment and ambition, and I know I'm not the only one.

What are you building up in your mind as your key to happiness? And….is your answer externally driven?

SHIFTING THE QUESTION

I still love goals. I still pursue ambitious things, that won’t change. But I've shifted the central question from:

"What do I want to GET?" to "Who am I becoming?"

This simple reframe has transformed my daily experience from constant striving to present growth.

It's the difference between:

-"I'll be happy when I reach $X income" and "I'm becoming someone who creates value regardless of compensation". Money always follows Value..Always.

-"I'll be fulfilled when I get that title" and "I'm becoming someone who leads effectively regardless of position". Be the person before you get the title.

I've hit goals, titles, and income levels that I never thought possible, and yet have experienced dark moments in conjunction with those achievements.

Once we shed our distorted lens of what we believe will make us happy, our self doubting beliefs, our insecurities, we'll finally start to realize how awesome we actually are in the moment.

Rather than chasing happiness, what if we chased meaning and significance?

I’m not suggesting not working hard, I’m suggesting a more definitive direction.

REMEMBER THIS

You've overcome 100% of the challenges you've faced so far. That's not small. That's not ordinary. That's remarkable.

You're already pretty badass. The question isn't whether you'll achieve your goals - your track record suggests you will. The question is whether you'll enjoy the journey along the way.

Now, enjoy the journey, and strive to improve along the way!

Onward and upward!

LEAD & LEARN : WEEKLY PICK

PODCAST

The Hidden Danger of Being Too Attached to Outcomes

The Ed Mylett Show

Commitment to the process is far more important than attachment to the outcome. If obtaining what we wanted really just came down to being hyper attached to having it, we’d already have it. The truth is that commitment to the process, to the actions, to the person you need to become is far more important than ‘wanting’ something with a deep attachment. This is a great perspective to consider!