Never Become Attached to the Results

Avoid becoming attached to the results of your work.

The Bhagavad Gita, one of the most widely read poems in history, offers a profound lesson: Never become attached to results.

Why? For two key reasons.

Reason #1: You Don’t Control the Outcome

The results of your efforts are influenced by countless variables—some within your control, many outside of it.

For example, years ago, I coached the CEO of Texaco during a period of enormous profitability. If I wanted, I could have taken credit for that success. But why was the company making such huge profits? A war in the Middle East had driven up oil prices. That had nothing to do with me. Sure, I may have helped in some way, but I wasn’t the main factor behind the company’s success.

This is why attaching yourself to outcomes is a mistake—many results are shaped by forces beyond your control.

Reason #2: Achievement Does Not Equal Happiness

I work with many high achievers. One of them is Dr. Safi Bahcall—a physicist, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and business executive. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was part of my Life Plan Review (LPR) group, where we reflected on personal growth and well-being.

After months of discussions, Safi reached an important realization. As a scientist, he had always assumed happiness was a dependent variable of achievement—meaning, If I achieve more, I will be happy.

But he finally saw the truth: Happiness and achievement are independent variables.

• You can achieve a lot and be happy.

• You can achieve a lot and be miserable.

• You can achieve nothing and be happy.

• You can achieve nothing and be miserable.

Happiness and achievement are not the same.

I asked him, “If happiness is tied to achievement, then how much achievement is enough? You already have a PhD from Stanford. Should you get two? You’ve written a bestselling book. Should you write another? You’ve built successful companies and earned financial success. If that’s not enough, what will be?”

He thought for a moment and then admitted, “You’re right. Happiness and achievement are not the same.”

The Trap of Endless Achievement

Even if you achieve your goals, what happens next?

Most people feel good for a week or two, then move on to chasing the next achievement. Many Olympic athletes, NFL players, and NBA stars struggle with depression after their careers end. Why? Because their entire identity has been built on doing more, achieving more, winning more. When that stops, they feel lost.

One retired CEO in my leadership group confessed, “I feel ashamed. I didn’t make as much money as last year.”

I asked, “But…you’re retired. Why does it matter?”

He admitted, “I know it makes no sense, but it’s just how I feel.”

That’s the trap of tying happiness to achievement—you’re always chasing more. And you never truly arrive.

• Achieve for the sake of achieving. If something is important to you, go for it. Strive, grow, accomplish.

• Be happy for the sake of being happy. Don’t assume achievement will bring happiness—it won’t.

Your Homework

Take a moment and answer this question:

“I will be happy when __________.”

Maybe you wrote: “When I make more money.” Or “When I earn my PhD.”

Now ask yourself—has achieving past goals actually made you happy? And if so, how long did that happiness last?

The great Western illusion is “I will be happy when…”

Wrong.

The time to be happy is now. Be happy to be happy. Achieve to achieve. Never assume achievement will bring happiness.