Look Twice at Each Goal

Earlier this week, one of my favorite Pokémon shops ran a special deal for their three-year anniversary. For every order over 50 €, you got a surprise bag with the potential to contain some pretty epic items. Vintage booster packs, rare goodies, even a massive collection box was up for grabs. Within minutes, I put together an order.

Before I hit submit, however, I took another look. Along with the announcement, the store had posted a picture of the prizes. Upon closer inspection, I realized: All these products were in German—and I collect only English cards. Even if I won the best item in the raffle, it wouldn’t mean very much to me. Sure, I’d make some money, but that’s about it. Clearly, this gamble was not worth 50 €. Tab closed.

When we see something shiny in the distance, we take off and chase after it. Wait! I know it’s hard to stay put, but first, take out your binoculars. Zoom in. Take a closer look, and chances are, you too will realize: Actually, this goal is not that interesting, and the best thing you can do is move on.

Nik

Niklas Göke writes for dreamers, doers, and unbroken optimists. A self-taught writer with more than a decade of experience, Nik has published over 2,000 articles. His work has attracted tens of millions of readers and been featured in places like Business Insider, CNBC, Lifehacker, and many others. Nik has self-published 2 books thus far, most recently 2-Minute Pep Talks. Outside of his day job and daily blog, Nik loves reading, video games, and pizza, which he eats plenty a slice of in Munich, Germany, where he resides.