One question has been changing the way I think about success lately.
What am I optimizing for?
Whether we realize it or not, every decision we make is optimizing something.
Some people optimize for income.
Others optimize for:
- Status.
- Recognition.
- Productivity.
- Influence.
- Growth.
- Efficiency.
None of those are inherently wrong.
But here’s the question that keeps coming back to me:
What if you’re winning at the very thing that’s costing you the life you actually want?
Every “Yes” Optimizes Something
Every time you say yes to another meeting…
You’re optimizing for responsiveness.
Every time you answer emails late into the evening…
You’re optimizing for availability.
Every time you sacrifice sleep to get one more thing done…
You’re optimizing for productivity.
Every decision is moving your life toward something.
The problem isn’t that we’re optimizing.
It’s that many of us never stop to ask whether we’re optimizing for the right things.
Success Isn’t Just About More
For much of my career, I optimized for achievement.
The next promotion.
The next opportunity.
The next challenge.
The next accomplishment.
And those things mattered.
They stretched me, developed me, and opened doors I never imagined.
But somewhere along the way, I realized something.
Achievement is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.
Because if achievement becomes the only metric, there’s never enough.
There’s always another goal. Another title. Another milestone.
The finish line keeps moving.
That’s when I started asking a different question.
What if I optimized for…
- Energy instead of exhaustion?
- Presence instead of busyness?
- Peace instead of proving?
- Impact instead of applause?
- Purpose instead of performance?
The amazing thing is that I didn’t become less successful.
I became more intentional.
What the Research Tells Us
Behavioral scientists have found that the metrics we consciously or unconsciously optimize for shape nearly every decision we make.
When organizations measure only productivity, employees naturally optimize for output.
When leaders reward innovation, people optimize for creativity.
The same is true in our personal lives.
If your internal scorecard is based on achievement alone, you’ll naturally optimize for doing more.
But if your scorecard includes health, relationships, purpose, faith, and joy, your decisions begin to change.
You stop asking,
“How much can I accomplish?”
And start asking,
“What kind of life am I building?”
That’s a very different question.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself
1. What’s your current scorecard?
How do you know you’ve had a “good” week?
Your answer reveals what you’re optimizing for.
2. Is that metric serving the life you want?
Success isn’t just reaching your goals.
It’s reaching them without sacrificing the people, health, and purpose that matter most.
3. Choose one new metric.
This month, instead of measuring yourself only by productivity…
Measure your energy.
Or your presence.
Or how aligned your calendar is with your values.
What gets measured improves.
Make sure you’re measuring what matters.
How I Can Help
One of the biggest shifts I help leaders make is redefining the scorecard they’re living by.
Because sustainable success isn’t about optimizing for more.
It’s about optimizing for what matters most.
Whether through the Fulfilled Life Accelerator 1:1 Coaching,keynote speaking, or my workshops, I help leaders build lives where success and fulfillment work together—not against each other.
- Join the Fulfilled Life Accelerator Coaching Program — Gain momentum with my Fulfilled Life Formula → Schedule a Call!
- Grab my Complimentary Life Alignment Check-in— Together we’ll reframe your thinking and create a roadmap together → Download Here.
- Get your FREE Values Clarifier to start living your design by design.→ Grab it Here!
Your Turn to Reflect a Step Further
If someone looked at your calendar, your spending, and your energy over the past month…
What would they say you’re optimizing for?
And is that what you truly want?
