What would you do if you could never lose?
Play the lottery?
Run a marathon?
Start a business?
Submit that proposal?
Ask for a raise?
Ask your crush out on a date?
During my run earlier this week, I heard this quote and it stuck with me since. I’ll tell you why in just a second.
But here’s the quote:
"If you only run races where winning is up to you, you'll always win."
- Epictetus
If you want someone to unpack that a little more for you, here’s Ryan Holiday:

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
It might seem like a cheat code or akin to phoning it in. What’s the point of participating in a rigged race?
Well, it’s less about rigging the results and more about taking ownership of the effort you put into something. In other words, don’t allow others to define success for you.
Okay, so why did this quote stick with me?
Because I was in the middle of a run at 6:00 in the freakin’ morning.
I started running again a few weeks ago. Not because I’m training for a race but because I’m trying not to die earlier than necessary. The exercise helps keep some biomarkers in check while being good for my ol’ ticker.
I set a dead easy goal over a month ago: run one day a week.
Distance? Doesn’t matter.
Time? Doesn’t matter.
Duration? One month.
Results? I met my goal.
Then I set another dead easy goal: run two days a week.
Distance? Doesn’t matter.
Time? Don’t care.
Duration? One month.
Results? TBD (but they’re looking good).
In July, I’ll set another goal: run three days a week.
Distance? Doesn’t matter.
Time? Don’t care.
Duration? One month.
Results? TBD
Eventually, I’ll add distance goals and time goals. But for now, I’m just trying to show up. Winning is strictly up to me.
It’s super empowering/motivating/insert-your-favorite-verb-here.
You should try it. Find a way to turn your goals into mini you-centric successes.
Playing the lottery?
Maybe success is simply in buying the ticket.
Running a marathon?
Maybe success is just in finishing the race.
Starting a business?
Maybe success is simply filing your LLC.
Submitting a proposal?
Maybe success is in raising your rates.
Asking for a raise?
Maybe success isn’t the raise, but having an honest convo with your supervisor.
Asking your crush out on a date?
Maybe success is in the asking itself.
The Copywriter Column is a weekly glimpse into the mind of an agency copywriter. Thinking about subscribing? Here’s what else you can expect.