- Setting goals and not meeting them OR Realizing that your work isn’t important;
- Not knowing the right answer OR Not knowing the best questions to ask;
- Feeling as though you have failed OR Feeling as though you didn’t try hard enough;
- Being made fun of OR Being unable to make a significant difference;
- Giving your best effort and realizing it wasn’t good enough OR Doing work that doesn’t matter.
Everyone experiences fear, apprehension, angst, concerns, etc. But if the first phrase in each of the above statements is the one that stirs your most deeply-held personal fears, you will struggle to get better and lead a professional life of significance.
Comfort is rarely compatible with growth. And even when you don’t fully reach ambitious goals, it is never failure if you make progress on work that is significant.