Did you win today?

I spent all day working on a relatively perplexing problem.

Solving it by some arbitrary deadline is to some extent out of my control— there’s only so much time, energy, and brain power to give.

What was in my control today was my decision to focus intensely on the problem.

A patient, determined problem solver is the type of person I want to be and today I proved with my behavior that I am that type of person.

On the basis of this alone, I see the day as a success.

Instead of anchoring our sense of fulfillment to factors out of our control, I think it’s much more fulfilling to anchor it to the choices we are capable of making and the extent to which they are aligned with our values and the standards we set for ourselves.

This means victory is within your grasp every day.