We live in a world where the bottom line is king.
If you win the game, hit the target, or deliver the goods, then we often overlook how you got there. The result owns the spotlight.
For those who fell short, having their good effort recognized is the consolation prize.
We often take this approach with kids. “Hey, maybe it didn’t work out, but at least you gave it your best shot.” It’s a technique to keep someone’s spirits up.
There’s nothing wrong with making a person feel better, of course. But if we truly want to help someone we need to be consistently evaluating effort — regardless of what happened at the end. After all, you can have good effort and bad results. You can have bad effort and good results. We need to acknowledge what kind of intention was driving the action.
Doing the hard work and mustering the needed courage are hallmarks of success. They don’t guarantee the outcome you want, but there may be no bigger factor to tilting the odds in your favor. That’s worth focusing on.
Effort deserves its own spotlight.