The Truth about Deserving Success: A Stoic Principle for Athletes and Coaches
As an athlete or coach, you know that the pursuit of success is an intricate dance between dedication, skill, and sometimes, a touch of fate. The concept of success is a multifaceted gem, often shining with both external validation and internal fulfillment. While listening to Ryan Holiday’s insights on his Daily Stoic podcast this pivotal revelation emerged—one that I think will profoundly impact your perception of success. The essence of this revelation is a succinct Stoic principle: you can’t control achieving success, but you can control deserving it.
Unraveling the Dichotomy: Achieving vs. Deserving Success
The modern world inundates us with the notion that success is primarily about outcomes—reaching the summit, hoisting the trophy, or receiving the accolades. However, the Stoic philosophy prompts us to take a step back and delve deeper into this underlying principle—while we might not be able to entirely control achieving success, we completely control deserving it.
The Stoic Perspective
Rather than fixating solely on external accomplishments, Stoicism encourages us to concentrate on the qualities and virtues we cultivate along the way. This shift from outcome-based success to virtue-based deserving is where the transformative power of Stoicism can be a game changer for athletes and coaches.
This starts with the belief deserving success comes from the virtues of courage, discipline, resilience, and integrity. These qualities define not just the endpoint of our journey but the very essence of who we become throughout the process. Stoics recognize that while factors beyond our control heavily influence external success, the cultivation of courage, discipline, resilience, and integrity rests solely in our heads and our hands.
Cultivating Deserving Success
At the heart of this Stoic principle lies the recognition that while we might not control external validation, we possess complete control over internal growth. Consider this: envision an athlete aiming to win a championship. While victory might be contingent on countless factors (referees, the strength of opponents, the twists of fate, etc.) it’s the athlete’s commitment to courage, discipline, resilience, and integrity that determines whether they deserve that victory.
The Stoic athlete, rather than obsessively pursuing accolades, is preoccupied with becoming the best version of themselves. They strive to lead a life defined by self-mastery. This isn’t to disregard ambition or dreams of success; rather, it’s to place them within the condition of deserving. It’s through personal excellence we create the conditions that align with success. A success that one will deserve, regardless of external validation.
Reducing the Anxiety that Accompanies the Pursuit of Success
Ironically, embracing the principle of deserving success often leads to the very achievements we seek. The paradox emerges from the Stoic practice of outcome independence (Amor fati)—a serene acceptance of whatever life brings, coupled with relentless effort in deserving success. When we shift our focus from obsessing over outcomes to dedicating ourselves to embodying virtues, we reduce the anxiety that often accompanies the pursuit of success.
Outcome independence liberates us from the shackles of external approval and frees us to pursue our goals with dedication. The Stoic understanding that we can’t fully control success tempers our ambitions, fostering a mindset where we’re content knowing we’ve done all that’s in our power to deserve success.
Fulfillment Beyond Achievement: Embracing the Process
Adopting this Stoic perspective on deserving success prompts a reevaluation of our relationship with our goals. It encourages us to derive fulfillment not solely from the attainment of milestones, but from the very act of striving to deserve them. In this context, every step becomes meaningful—a chance to practice virtues, hone skills, and refine character.
By embracing this philosophy, we engage with life more fully, relishing the journey as much as the destination. We’re less susceptible to the crippling fear of failure because we recognize that success, in its truest sense, is deeply tied to our internal growth. This Stoic perspective fosters resilience—the ability to stand tall in the face of setbacks, knowing that our worth isn’t tied solely to external achievements.
In a world fixated on outcomes, Stoicism offers a paradigm shift—one that whispers the profound truth that external success isn’t the ultimate barometer of fulfillment. The essence of success lies in deserving, in our commitment to cultivating virtues, embracing challenges, and nurturing our character. Stoicism calls us to redefine success—to see it not just as a destination but as an embodiment of our courage, discipline, resilience, and integrity.
As athletes, coaches, and individuals, I encourage you to embrace this Stoic wisdom, crafting a narrative of success that is richer, more meaningful, and deeply aligned with your values. By weaving the fabric of your journey with the threads of Stoic virtues, you can forge a legacy that transcends fleeting achievements—a legacy of deserving success in every sense of the word.