Glory is Overrated
Article published on 04/02/2010
She can’t wait to win.
I’m spending Friday night at the Spyhouse cafe in uptown Minneapolis. This is partially because the Internet is down at my apartment, and partially due to my logic that, as long as I’m out of the house, my Friday night isn’t completely anti-social.
Two women are playing chess at a nearby table. One is clearly winning; she is reveling.
She is basking in her own glory. It’s annoying.
Winning is great. It means we have solved a problem and validates our efforts. It shows we’re doing something right. But I think the emotions we associate with winning are usually incorrect. We see the exuberance after a Kobe Bryant buzzer beater, or the tears after an Academy Award, and assume that is what victory looks like.
It’s not.
95% of the time, winning comes without fanfare. It comes without glory. And in those rare instances when glory and praise do come our way, it’s usually not a result of our truly deserving efforts.
When we’ve lucky enough to have success show up, it’s usually quiet and humble. Success is not a victory march, but rather the self-affirming ring in your ears on your way to the next meeting.
Don’t go looking for glory. It’s overrated and signifies nothing. Instead, plan to succeed whether it’s for the benefit of one small client or the respect of an entire industry.
And when you do win, whether it’s at Friday night cafe chess or scoring a huge new business client, don’t overreact like the woman next to me. Be cool. Act like you’ve been there before.
James McCrae is a creative strategist, culture addict and writer broadcasting from Minneapolis. 
Comments (2)
Thanks for the comment, Christopher. Your thoughts are right on point to what I was thinking. Being told we are awesome may feel great, but usually tells very little. Some praise is sincere, some isn’t. It’s better to use our own internal barometer to see the improvements we make over time.
Funny you mentioned JAKE too. I’m actually in SF with him right now helping him work on his upcoming book. I’m glad you plan to keep reading my blog. Let’s be in touch.
James,
I saw a link to your article from my friend JAKE Sasseville, and I really enjoyed it. I’ve worked as a conductor and vocal soloist for a while now, and I could never figure out where my aversion to hanging around after concerts and receiving the idolatry and praise from the audience came from, but your article really speaks to it. It’s this feeling that society seems to support that THOSE moments are the real successes, and they aren’t, the hours and hours and rehearsal and practice and honing my craft and what I BECAME as a result of that effort are the real successes, not hearing from someone that the concert was so fabulous. I love your ideas and I look forward to reading some more of your blog.