When the 5-letter word game that has swept the nation, Wordle, was bought for seven figures by the NY Times from a software engineer in Brooklyn, did you say to yourself, “I should’ve come up with that!”? 

 

Or was it just me? 🙂

 

In any case, I noticed something interesting today as I announced to no one in particular that I guessed the word in ONLY TWO TRIES! I noticed that…it actually wasn’t that fun to guess it so quickly. It kinda just felt like luck. 

 

There was no journey or real thinking. It was a wild (educated) guess, and it was over in less than a minute.

 

I reflected back to the times when I’ve played Wordle and struggled to get the answer until my sixth guess and how triumphant I felt when I did. I enjoyed the process of getting there and because there’s no clock or time limit on the game, I could let myself consider options, step away, get a drink, be distracted or inspired by something else and come back to the game with fresh eyes. 

 

I think about this in my own business. Do I wish that sometimes I could snap my fingers and everything I want to build could come to fruition in an instant? Yes. 

 

AND…I’m also enjoying the unfolding of what I’m creating, learning from mistakes, and the anticipation of what’s to come.

 

Success is about going in the right direction

 

Andrea Jung, former CEO of Avon, used to say, “follow your compass, not your clock“, when she spoke about career building.

 

This quote always resonated with me because following a clock means you’re focused on short-term results and letting time dictate your goals. Following a compass is more about direction than speed. It is about trajectory and the long-term journey. 

 

Many games (or careers) focus on getting to the highest level possible within a certain amount of time. 

 

Imagine instead, playing a game in which you used a compass, and as long as you were going in the right direction, you were winning 

 

In that scenario, the parameters create a meaningful journey. Now that’s the kinda game I want to play because if we don’t enjoy the game of life, then what’s the point in playing?

 

If you’re looking for a way to find success and fulfillment in your career or life, then my book, Remotivation: The Remote Worker’s Ultimate Guide to Life-Changing Fulfillment,  is the perfect guide for you. This book dives deep into how to use the power of direction over speed to achieve more meaningful goals and success.