The Cost of Ambition | How to Know When to Push Forward or Step Back

[Anderson]

Sometimes when you're striving to achieve something, it feels like the whole world is conspiring against you.

Everything that can break, does, and even things that shouldn't break, somehow do. As soon as you overcome one obstacle, another one immediately appears in your path. This brings up an interesting question: how do you know when to keep pushing forward and when to accept that life might be telling you to stop and reassess your path?

I had a friend who spent years launching project after project, each one failing despite his efforts. He poured his time, energy, and even others' money into these ventures, always believing that the next one would be the breakthrough he was looking for. Despite the setbacks, he kept going, driven by the hope that his perseverance would eventually lead to success. But each failure only brought another painful lesson, not the success he sought.

This got me thinking - what drives someone to keep pursuing something, even when all signs suggest they should stop? We instinctively avoid physical pain, pulling our hand away from a hot stove, yet when it comes to emotional or psychological pain, we often push through, hoping for a different outcome.

People keep trying, even when they keep getting burned, because of hope - the belief that maybe, just maybe, things will turn out differently this time. This is true in love, in business, and in personal ambitions. We see stories of success after repeated failure, like the Wright brothers who managed to fly a plane just 63 days after a major publication declared that humanity was centuries away from achieving powered flight. But for every success story, there are countless others, like my friend, who work tirelessly without ever reaching their goal. This is kind of building the "Schmidt tunnel".

 

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The "Schmidt's Tunnel" metaphor serves as a warning about persevering without considering the ongoing setbacks, only to realize later that the effort was misdirected. It doesn't imply inevitable failure, but it urges you to critically assess whether the path you're on is still worth the investment of your time and energy.

 

So, how can you tell if you're on the right path? If you're about to achieve something great, or if you're just stubbornly digging a tunnel through a mountain of granite for 30 years, only to find it's no longer needed by the time you finish? The difference between those who succeed and those who don't isn't just about hard work - it's about knowing when to push forward and when to pivot.

According to teachings in Kabbalah and some wisdom from Judaism, there are three scenarios to consider:

1. Practical Necessity: If you're motivated by a real, pressing need—like escaping danger or addressing a crucial issue—you’re likely to succeed because the stakes are high and the need is genuine. For instance, people who are forced to leave their country due to war or persecution often find a way to establish a new life elsewhere, despite the challenges.

2. Joy in the Process: If you’re driven by the enjoyment of what you’re doing, then the journey itself becomes the reward. Success becomes secondary to the joy of creation or the process. This can be seen in someone who takes up a new hobby late in life and finds immense satisfaction in it, regardless of the outcome.

3. Desire for a Specific Outcome: This is the most dangerous scenario. If your motivation is purely about achieving a specific result, without any practical necessity or joy in the process, you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. This is where stubbornness can lead to wasted efforts—like digging a tunnel that no one will use, simply because you want to prove you can.

If everything in your life is falling apart, if obstacles keep piling up, it might be time to stop and consider whether you’re building your own version of Schmidt’s tunnel. Pushing through when life is clearly resisting can sometimes lead to a hollow victory, or no victory at all.

My thoughts on this are that life is a balancing act between persistence and wisdom. Knowing when to push forward and when to let go is key to avoiding unnecessary suffering. It’s not about giving up easily, but about being smart in how you invest your time, energy, and resources. Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is walk away from a path that no longer serves you, even if you’ve been on it for years. Success is not just about reaching a destination—it’s about the journey and knowing when you’re on the right road.

What about you? Have you ever built your own "Schmidt tunnel," or did you manage to find your way to a more fruitful path? Share your thoughts in the comments!