Winning isn’t everything. In fact, winning isn’t much at all in the end. Progress is the win. Effort is the win. Improvement is the win.

I’ve participated in a lot of “races”. I put it in quotes because not once have I actually been in competition for a place on a podium. But every single one of those completions is a win for me. It’s proof that I prioritized my own health. It’s proof that I was consistent in working toward my goal for an extended period of time. It’s proof that I identified a particular goal and made it happen.

Those wins have nothing to do with running. Those are life wins. But the ripple effects of those wins in my life filter down to those around me. Wins like that make my world better. My dog gets fitter, my relationships are healthier, my anxiety is lowered, my energy level for other things improves.

Success is not about winning a competition, it is about making a contribution. Your success fuels people around you. When we surround ourselves with successful people, we become more successful. Being a person succeeding at your goals inspires others to work on their goals too.

When you start working on self-improvement goals, you look at the world through an improvement lens. You see other areas where you can make a positive impact. Maybe you start a home project, or maybe you organize your desk at work, or maybe you finally get around to changing the oil in your car. But when you stop accepting the status-quo for yourself, you start reevaluating the status-quo around you as well.

Make a contribution to yourself, and you make a contribution to your world. That is success.