Latest news with #fulfillment
Fast Company
4 hours ago
- General
- Fast Company
Motivation is a pattern: Moving from alarm clocks to purpose-driven success
Motivation isn't just a feeling—it's a pattern. A pattern of behavior, of habits, of choosing again and again to pursue something that matters. Too often we confuse motivation with external forces: deadlines, alarms, or pressure from bosses. But the most lasting, fulfilling kind of motivation comes from within. There are two types of motivation: alarm clock motivation and fulfillment-driven motivation. Alarm clock motivation is just what it sounds like—an external push. It's the reason you get up at 6:30 AM because your job or responsibilities demand it. It's duty-bound, sometimes driven by fear or necessity. Think of a teacher who wakes early because they have 30 kids waiting for them. It's not passion that gets them out of bed—it's the obligation. Fulfillment-driven motivation is different. It's internal. It's what happens when you believe you were meant to do something. That same teacher might be waking up at 6:30 AM not just to teach, but because they believe they're shaping minds and making a real difference in their community. That's purpose in action. And when your motivation is tied to fulfillment, your energy, creativity, and resilience increase dramatically. But to operate from fulfillment, your basic needs have to be met. You need stability: shelter, food, rest, safety, love. Only then can you lift your gaze beyond survival and start to think about the impact you want to make in the world. Subscribe to the Daily newsletter. Fast Company's trending stories delivered to you every day Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters Many people set huge, noble goals—to start nonprofits, write books, change lives—but fail to get traction because they haven't overcome the basics. They're still stuck in alarm clock mode. And that's okay. It's a phase. But we must recognize that we can't get to fulfillment-driven motivation if we're still fighting to meet our daily needs. Once I reached a point where my family was stable—economically, emotionally, spiritually—that's when my motivation began to shift. I was no longer driven just by the need to provide, but by the desire to help others, to make an impact, to mentor and inspire. People lose enthusiasm when their motivation isn't sustainable. If you're driven only by money, fame, or a target metric, what happens when you hit it? Often, you find that the goal doesn't simplify your life—it complicates it. You need a deeper 'why' to carry you through. That's what fulfillment provides. The key is setting goals that are both attainable and purpose-driven. Don't aim for something completely out of reach just to prove a point. Instead, chunk your big dream into manageable pieces. One of my mentors used to say, 'The best way to eat an elephant is in hunks, chunks, and bites.' That's how motivation works best too. For example, instead of setting a goal to lose 50 pounds, start by going to the gym every day for two weeks. Then build from there. Instead of trying to get on a nonprofit board immediately, show up to events, serve, and connect authentically. Motivation builds when you take meaningful action—bit by bit. As I've grown, my motivation has shifted again. In my 20s, I was motivated by fun. In my 30s, by financial stability and growing a business. Now, as I approach 40, I'm motivated by spending time with my family, mentoring others, and making a meaningful dent in the world—just as Steve Jobs encouraged others to do. Ultimately, motivation is about setting yourself up for success, not burnout. It's about recognizing the season you're in and aligning your goals accordingly. So ask yourself: What motivates you now? And how can you break it down into the bites that will carry you forward? When you understand that motivation is a pattern—not a mystery—you gain the power to shape it.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon Intensifies Focus on North America: What is the Path Ahead?
Amazon's AMZN North America segment continues to be the backbone of its business, playing a critical role in driving overall growth. With strong consumer demand, wide product selection and an expanding seller network, the region is helping Amazon maintain its leadership in e-commerce. In the first quarter of 2025, Amazon's North America segment (59.7% of total revenues) generated $92.9 billion in revenues. The segment saw an 8% year-over-year growth, reflecting strong performance despite economic uncertainties. Our model estimate for second-quarter 2025 North America revenues is pegged at $97.2 billion, indicating year-over-year growth of 7.9%.To support this growth, AMZN is continuing to improve its fulfillment network across the region. The company has redesigned its inbound network to better distribute inventory across its regions, which allows it to place products closer to customers. This has helped reduce delivery times, lower the cost to serve and increase the likelihood that multiple items in a customer's order arrive together. In the first quarter, Amazon achieved its fastest-ever speeds for same-day and next-day deliveries, helping it maintain a lead in ahead, Amazon is expanding its use of automation and robotics in its operations, continuing to build out its same-day delivery network and adding more delivery stations in rural areas in the United States. These steps are aimed at reducing handling costs, improving speed and expanding reach. The company is also focused on offering low prices and great value, which remains especially important for customers given broader economic uncertainty. Together, these efforts are central to Amazon's strategy to drive continued growth in the North America segment. Amazon Faces Stiff Competition in North America As Amazon sharpens its focus on the North America segment, competition from major retailers like Walmart WMT and Target TGT is remodeled 40 U.S. stores in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, improved three-hour delivery coverage to 93% of U.S. households and saw a 21% jump in U.S. e-commerce sales. Additionally, Walmart has undertaken several initiatives to enhance e-commerce operations in the region, including buyouts, alliances and improved delivery and payment is strengthening its position in North America by combining digital expansion with store investments. Target has an outstanding pipeline of new stores and is committed to ongoing remodels of existing locations. Additionally, it has been ramping up its digital solutions and strengthening delivery capabilities through services like doorstep delivery, curbside pickup, or buy online and pick up at the store. AMZN's Share Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates AMZN shares have gained 3.8% in the year-to-date (YTD) period, underperforming the Zacks Internet – Commerce industry and the Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector's growth of 9.5% and 5.1%, respectively. AMZN's YTD Price Performance Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, AMZN stock is currently trading at a forward 12-month Price/Sales ratio of 3.28X compared with the industry's 2.17X. AMZN has a Value Score of D. AMZN's Valuation Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2025 earnings is pegged at $1.32 per share, which has been revised upward by a penny over the past 30 days, indicating 7.32% year-over-year growth. Inc. Price and Consensus Inc. price-consensus-chart | Inc. Quote Amazon currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Target Corporation (TGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Walmart Inc. (WMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Power Of Goal Setting: A Path To Clarity And Success
A pioneer in her industry, coaching leaders since 2000, Sara Ellis Conant is Co-Founder & CEO of a)plan coaching. Setting goals is one of the most powerful tools for realizing your dreams in any area of life. Whether personal or professional, strategic or tactical, effective goal setting provides direction, motivation and a sense of accomplishment. While some people may worry that setting goals feels restrictive or limits spontaneity, the truth is that setting goals sets you free. It empowers you to define your own path, make intentional choices and create a life that aligns with your values and aspirations. As you'll see from the five techniques and real-life examples below, goal setting can help you create success and fulfillment in all areas of your life! What Is Goal Setting? Goal setting can be thought of as planning, visioning, dreaming or strategic planning. It is the process of identifying what you want to accomplish and outlining steps to make it happen. When approached thoughtfully, goal setting becomes a roadmap to achievement, offering clarity and focus in both personal and professional pursuits. Common Misconceptions About Goal Setting Some people resist goal setting because it feels restrictive or imposes on spontaneity. However, the reality is quite the opposite. When you set goals: • You are in control. You define your own objectives, rather than letting circumstances dictate your path. • You gain flexibility. Having a plan doesn't mean you can't change course; it simply gives you a foundation to build upon. • You reduce decision fatigue. Knowing what you want allows you to focus on execution rather than constant re-evaluation. • You adapt more easily. Unexpected challenges become easier to navigate when you have a clear vision. Five Techniques For Effective Goal Setting To harness the full potential of goal setting, consider these five techniques. Instead of viewing goals as constraints, recognize that they empower you to make informed choices and align your actions with your highest priorities. For example, one of my clients who is a university professor and new mother realized that she wasn't finding time for her own self-care, from sleep to exercise to seeing friends. We worked together to design her ideal schedule and take steps to implement it, including declining nonessential work meetings and arranging childcare so she could hike with friends. Clarity is key. Break down your goals into different areas of life, such as finances, health, career, relationships and recreation. Think in terms of what you want to do, have and be. Writing down your goals increases commitment and enhances your ability to achieve them. Another client wanted to pursue a promotion and a raise. By clarifying his desired timeline for the promotion and the amount of the raise, he was able to bring those goals to his manager and HR business partner to learn what he could do to make them a reality. There's rarely just one way to achieve a goal. Brainstorm multiple paths to success and remain open to new ideas. Collaborating with others can provide fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. When coaching anyone on how to improve any area of their life, I invite them to invent at least 10 possible ways to achieve a single goal, including some seemingly wild or outrageous ideas. There are always dozens of different ways to get from where you are now to where you want to be. The MAPs process allows you to think about ideas you've never considered and say things you've never said, so that you can create results you've never had. Not all goals hold the same weight. Categorize them by priority: • A – Must achieve (Passion or Promise) • B – Preferred but not urgent (Plan or Preference) • C – Possible but optional (Possibility or Option) • O – Obligation (Tasks required but not deeply motivating) Additionally, setting deadlines and identifying accountability partners increases the likelihood of success. Another example comes from coaching teams that want to improve collaboration. Because team members inevitably have varied opinions, it's important to first brainstorm many different tactics or sub-goals (technique 3 above) and then prioritize them. After prioritizing each aspect's goal or sub-goal, it's easier for the team to determine clear timelines and owners to support implementation and lasting change. Goal setting isn't just a one-time activity—it's an ongoing process. Schedule regular check-ins to review progress, adjust goals as needed and celebrate achievements, no matter how small. By incorporating reflection and celebration, you can reinforce motivation and sustain long-term commitment to your goals. Whether coaching an individual or a team, we always take time to celebrate progress toward goals, usually at the start of the session. Tracking micro-accomplishments motivates people to keep going because they can see progress toward their goals. Take Action: Define Your Next Steps Now that you've explored these five key goal-setting techniques and real-life examples, take a moment to reflect. What is one goal you're excited to pursue? How can you apply these strategies to make it a reality? Remember, goal setting isn't just about reaching the finish line—it's about the journey, growth and transformation along the way. Start today and create your future! Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
New York Times
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
Scottie Scheffler raised questions about happiness and fulfillment. This professor has answers
Editor's note: This story is a part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering leadership, personal development and success through the lens of sports. Follow Peak here. In the days before the Open Championship this week, Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 golfer in the world, revealed something honest and fascinating. Advertisement He had spent his entire life trying to become the best golfer in the world and rack up major championships. But when he wins — and it happens a lot — the feeling of fulfillment is fleeting. 'There's a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and you get there, you get to No. 1 in the world, and they're like, what's the point?' Scheffler said. 'I really do believe that. Because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? That's something that I wrestle with on a daily basis.' '(Golf) is one of the greatest joys of my life, but does it fill the deepest wants and desires of my heart?' Scheffler added. 'Absolutely not.' It's an idea we all can relate to on some level. We think career success, promotions, financial rewards and other external validation will make us happy. But will it actually? And what do we do when it doesn't? To unpack this idea, I called up Arthur Brooks, a professor at Harvard Business School who teaches a course on happiness. Brooks is a symphony musician turned behavioral scientist turned public policy analyst turned best-selling author who has focused on these exact ideas. He teaches a class at Harvard called Leadership and Happiness and his next book, out next month, is titled 'The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life.' We talked about career burnout, why so many great strivers struggle with success, if money actually offers happiness, and the key to finding meaning in life. Yes, all the easy stuff. He voiced something that we all relate to. Certain rewards or rewards will make us happy or fulfilled. However, that feeling is fleeting. Why is that? There's a lot of philosophy that goes into it, there is a lot of neurobiology that goes into it, but the bottom line is that human beings are built from the ancestral environment to make progress. Our species is most successful when we're doing better today than we were doing yesterday. So, more skins in your caves. More success in the mating market and all that, and so progress is inherently incredibly satisfying. When you're doing better today than you were yesterday, it's incredibly satisfying. Advertisement Now, to make progress, you have to have a direction. That's called the Rhumb line in sailing. You have to have a straight line from where you're going to where you want to get, or you don't know what progress means. It means nothing if you don't have a goal. Humans naturally set goals, and then they get all their satisfaction from making incremental progress toward the goals. But that's where a cognitive error comes in. The belief is that once you actually achieve your goal, once you get to that finish line, that's when the ultimate satisfaction will occur and that will last. It will be bliss and it'll be good forever. Now, why is it that, by some estimates, a majority of Olympic gold medalists suffer from clinical depression in the three months after winning their gold medal? Because it doesn't satisfy. That's called the arrival fallacy. The arrival fallacy is that mistaken belief that incremental progress is great, and so arrival at the goal is the best, and it just isn't. Arrival at the goal is nothing more than an intention, such that it's a pin in the map, so that you know which direction to go. So you can make that progress that you actually crave. People who are extraordinarily successful, unbelievably hardworking and lucky — that's the combination for people who get the right genetics and the right parents and the right brain and all that. But they're also extremely hardworking. These are the people who have outsized success. They get these big jumps and adulation from strangers and all these worldly rewards. And they fall prey more than anybody in the world to the arrival fallacy. I mean, it's unbelievable. Man, I remember thinking, 'If I have a book that's No. 1 on The New York Times' bestseller list, it's going to be so freaking awesome,' and you get there and you're like, 'Yeah, but the next week, it's a book by some politician,' and you're like, 'Oh.' That's how we're wired. That's how the arrival fallacy works. In a nutshell, that's what Scottie Scheffler was talking about. Advertisement How do you solve the arrival fallacy? That takes years of work — interior work. That takes work on oneself. But the Buddhist answer to that — I'm a Catholic, not a Buddhist — but it's still, nonetheless, good wisdom. It's called intention without attachment. In other words, the trick is to recognize that your brain is playing a cognitive trick on you. Your brain is lying to you. Your brain lies to you all the time. Mother Nature lies. Mother Nature says if you get money, power, pleasure and fame, then you'll be happy. And the truth is that, if you work on your happiness, then you will have enough success. Which creates panic in super strivers because the word enough makes them break out in hives. But the goal for living a successful life of outsized merit and achievement is to have intention. Yes, yes, yes. Without attachment. To say, 'I am going in this particular direction. I offer up this reward. I'm going to go where I'm supposed to go. I hit this or I don't. And even when I do, it's just another day.' And actually truly beginning to believe that. That's the equanimity that actually comes from somebody who's philosophically balanced and also a super striver. There aren't very many of them. You've discussed before how career burnout is prevalent among people in their 40s. People climb throughout their 20s and 30s, then they hit a peak, then it becomes a plateau and then there's a feeling of stagnation. It made me think of athletes who reach the pinnacle of their sport at a relatively young age. And then they have to keep going. There's a lot of neuroscience and social psychology around the two kinds of intelligence that come with age. That's what my book, 'From Strength to Strength,' was about. What that research shows is that fluid intelligence, which is based on innovation, working memory and incredible energy that people have in their 20s and 30s, peaks about age 39 and then starts to decline. That doesn't mean that you suck. That just means that the parts of your excellence that come from your learning and intelligence and focus and innovation, which is all of us, basically, that that actually stops getting better and starts getting worse. You notice it; nobody else does. But given the fact that all of human motivation comes from progress, when you're not making progress, you hate it and that's burnout. Advertisement So you're like, 'Dude, I thought I would love this forever and I don't and I don't know why.' And then what happens behind it is there's another intelligence curve that increases through your 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. That's called your crystallized intelligence, which is based on pattern recognition and teaching. You don't need a lot of working memory for it. You don't need what made you good at what you do in your 20s and 30s. And if you can figure out a way to transform yourself from a fluid intelligence super-striver into a crystallized intelligence leader, that's where bliss comes. That's the trick. That's people who go from playing to coaching, and they love it more, and they don't know why, even though they make less money. I used to conduct mathematical research that was so sophisticated I can no longer read it today. And today, I write books and articles that are read by millions of people because I'm now a teacher. I was an innovator then, I'm a teacher now. And that's because I'm on my crystallized intelligence. I'm 61; I am on my crystallized intelligence curve. I was a professional classical musician in my 20s. I was playing in the Barcelona Orchestra, just at the pinnacle of that business. I was the principal French horn in the Barcelona orchestra. And I started getting worse and I didn't know why, and I started freaking out. I went to the greatest teachers in the world, and what I accidentally did, I accidentally started studying something else to figure out something else I could be good at. I became a behavioral scientist, unknowingly starting to learn the stuff that actually lay behind my own professional decline. And so I've seen these curves in my own life. What I do with athletes, actors, entrepreneurs and geniuses is I explain to them that they've peaked and they're declining in their fluid intelligence. And I help them find their crystallized intelligence curve and build the second half of their lives on that. Advertisement There is this idea of the burden of high achievement. It came from some academics at the University of Texas. It feels relevant to almost any professional athlete. The burden of high achievement is that when you set yourself up for unbelievably high standards in childhood — adolescence and early adulthood — you're almost certainly going to disappoint yourself later in life. Notwithstanding the fact that you had a really, really good life, you weren't number one. That's all you pay attention to. This is related to the Olympic medalist research that shows that the happiest Olympic medalists are the bronze medalists. The bronze medalists compared themselves, the rest of their lives, to the losers who didn't medal. The silver medalists compared themselves for the rest of their lives with the gold medalists, and they're the unhappiest by far of the three. They die earliest and they're unhappiest. There are two sets of studies: one looks at their life trajectory, their health and death over a hundred years, looking at Olympic medalists going back to the early 20th century. And the other actually reads their expressions on the podium. Both of them show the same thing: It sucks to be silver. The high achievers are kind of like the silver medalists of life. It's very hard. There's only one gold medalist, man. I wanted to be the greatest French horn player in the world, literally, and I wasn't. I wasn't because it's like one guy. It is not likely to be me. I was just bitter and resentful. And then I started getting worse. If you were identified as super special before you were 20, you're more likely than average to be disappointed with your life after 80. To go back to something that Scottie Scheffler said: 'Winning is fulfilling from a sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.' So, to pivot into something a little bit more philosophical. How do we find meaning? Meaning comes from human relationships, meaning comes from love. We're built for love. The happiest people are the people who are serious about their faith or their philosophical lives, who have serious family relationships, have deep, real friendships, not just 'deal' friendships. Strivers are all deal, no real, is the problem. Advertisement And then (people) who feel that their work serves other people. I'm writing a book right now, coming out in April, called 'The Meaning of Your Life.' The people who have the most meaning in their lives, they do six things: They ask deep questions. They fall in love. They look upward. They're very spiritual or philosophical. They find calling in their work, not just achievement in their work. They seek a lot of beauty in nature, art, music. And they understand the nature of their suffering. They're not afraid of their suffering. That's what people who find meaning actually do. When people think about professional athletes, they can understand the idea that external rewards probably don't always bring happiness. However, they are also like, 'Well, my life would be a lot better if I made a million dollars a year or more.' How much does financial achievement correspond with happiness, according to the research? Very little. There's the old research from Deaton and Kahneman that says that your happiness stabilizes at $75,000 a year. That was overtaken by events. Matt Killingsworth at Wharton found it's more like $250,000 a year, and it keeps going up. But the truth of the matter is, it doesn't matter. At some point, it gets really flat and it's below a million dollars. What happens is that money never raises happiness. Money lowers the sources of unhappiness. There's the one thing that Mother Nature tells you will bring happiness, which is a lie, and the four things that really will bring greater happiness. So buying stuff and having status, Mother Nature says you'll be a lot happier with that million dollars. That's a lie. The things that really do bring happiness are buying experiences and spending time with people you love, buying time with people that you love or spending time with them in edifying activities, giving your money away to things that you care about, and putting your money in the bank, because that's progress and humans are wired for progress. Advertisement Go buy the watch. Go buy the boat. Go buy the car. That's momentary satisfaction; that's Scottie's win at the Masters. That's what your Ferrari is. Instead, go away with your kids and make a memory that will last forever. It's funny because, you know, I've been married for 34 years and 33 years ago I was having this big argument with my wife. We didn't have any money. We were really, really poor, like minimum-wage poor, and we had just immigrated to the United States. She's like, 'We need to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.' We had enough money to do one of two things. We could go away to the local beach for three days or we could buy a couch because we didn't have a couch. I'm a thrifty, practical guy. I'm like, 'Couch.' She's like, 'No, beach.' And we go back and forth. Finally, we compromise and go to the beach. Later, I realized that she was completely right. I thought that the couch would give us permanent satisfaction because it's a thing and the beach would give a temporary satisfaction because it's an experience. And the exact opposite is the truth. Achievements are more like couches than they are like beaches. Another thing that I came across that you said that resonated with me was that we have too many mirrors in our lives. Mirrors, as in literal mirrors and also metaphoric mirrors, like social media. We're constantly evaluating ourselves. The human prefrontal cortex is the greatest achievement of evolution. That's the supercomputer of nature. It has the equivalent of 880 trillion transistors in it, and it enables unbelievable things. That's 30 percent of your brain that sits right behind your forehead, the prefrontal cortex. It's unbelievable. One of the most amazing things that it creates is consciousness. Consciousness is the ability not just to see and perceive the outside world, but to see and understand the inside self. Those are the two philosophical perspectives that William James called the 'I' self and the 'me' self. The 'I' self is what you're looking at outside, right? I'm in Big Sky, Montana, right now, looking at a mountain. The 'I' self sees the mountain. The 'me' self perceives me talking to you, thinking, 'Am I making a good impression and getting my points across?' That's what consciousness allows us to do. I go through my life and I can get through traffic. But I can also think about the fact that I'm getting older and, sooner or later, I'm going to die and what's going to happen then, and do I have kale in my teeth? Advertisement And … and … and. The problem is that for happiness, we spend too much time in the 'me' self and not enough in the 'I' self. That's normal and that's natural because of consciousness and the nature of the prefrontal cortex, but it's misery-inducing, and so the trick, the Buddhist trick, gets back to the intention without attachment. The first noble truth of Buddhism is that life is dissatisfaction, that life has suffering. That's Duḥkha. The reason for that is that there's too much time in the 'me' self. Because we're spending too much time thinking about ourselves, looking inward, because there are too many mirrors in our lives. The secret is to get rid of your mirrors. The secret is to literally take the mirrors out of your house, take the notifications off your phone, stop thinking about yourself, start thinking about other people, transcend, spend more time in prayer, serve others. The single best set of techniques that you can use for getting happier is to spend more time serving other people and spend more time looking for the divine. Those two things are breaking the mirrors. My last question, and I know this is oversimplified, but if you could give people three pieces of advice to help them be happier day to day, what would they be? Let's see if I can do something simple there for you. So Mother Nature gives you a false counterfeit formula for happiness. Here's Mother Nature's formula: love things, use people and worship yourself. That's Mother Nature's formula — that's the 'me' self. The right formula — this is what to focus on, this is what to put up on the fridge or on your computer screen and to say to yourself as you wake up in the morning or as you go to bed at night: 'Love people, use things and worship the divine.' That's the formula.
Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
I never expected Scottie Scheffler to give best press conference ever
'There are a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfil them in life, [but] you get to No1 in the world and they're like, 'What's the point?' I really do believe that, because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? It's something that I wrestle with on a daily basis.' This was one quote from what will perhaps go down as the most frank, raw and profound press conference, well, ever. It involved Scottie Scheffler and if you are surprised as to the identity of the man who spoke the above words, join the club. Press conferences are typically forums that incubate banalities (I know: I've been to a few) but this was a brilliant golfer and reflective man pondering some of the deeper questions confronting someone who has spent most of his life — this brief illumination of existence that is all any of us gets — hitting a silly little ball into a plastic cup. 'It's like showing up at the Masters every year — why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly? Why do I want to win the Open Championship so badly? I don't know, because if I win it's going to be awesome for two minutes. I'm not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what's the point? This is not a fulfilling life. It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.' Forgive the length of the quotes I'm sharing but this is the only way to get a sense of the scale of his foray into existential candour. Scheffler went on: 'I literally worked my entire life to become good at golf and have an opportunity to win that tournament,' he said. 'Then it's like, 'OK, what are we going to get for dinner?' Life goes on. It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling.' It wasn't so much the words that struck home as his facial expression, conveying the aching sense of anticlimax. I perhaps should say that Scheffler is not alone in having opened up in this way. I remember talking to Victoria Pendleton (albeit in a one-on-one interview, rather than a press conference) and she spoke hauntingly about the 'worst thing' to have happened to her. She had worked for years, nurturing the dream of climbing to the top of the Olympic podium — and then won gold. 'You have all this build-up for one day, and when it's over, it's, 'Oh, is that it?' ' she said. 'People think it's hard when you lose. But it's almost easier to come second because you have something to aim for when you finish. When you win, you suddenly feel lost.' Over the years, I've heard similar sentiments from Jonny Wilkinson, Billie Jean King, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Martina Navratilova. James Toseland, the motorsports legend, wept in the privacy of his hotel room after winning the Superbike world title. Steve Peters, the psychiatrist, has compared it to a sense of bereavement. 'A number of people I've been in touch with following the Olympics, people who'd succeeded, said the same. They felt quite depressed, almost like a sense of loss.' You may be thinking: 'Get over yourselves, you're earning loads of money for doing something you enjoy.' And it's a fair point. But isn't there a kernel of wisdom contained in this testimony too? The dream we are often sold is that if we make a million, or buy our first Porsche, (or capture the Green Jacket), we will experience an epiphany, perhaps even lasting bliss. But what many people find at the end of the yellow brick road is a mirage, an apparition, a false promise. One thinks of Robert Louis Stevenson's words: 'To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.' If this sounds gloomy, I'm glad to say that this is where Scheffler shifted gears and talked about where true meaning is to be found. You see, he's a dad, a husband, a son; a man immersed in that intricate network of mutual support and love we call family. These are the people for whom one's triumphs are a blessing, who strangely take more joy from our successes, and us from theirs, than either of us are capable of taking for ourselves. And this is why whether we're playing golf or stacking shelves at Asda, as my dear mum used to do, those of us with the gift of a loving family have something more precious than diamonds or a million Green Jackets. As Scheffler put it (and my heart leapt at his words): 'I'm blessed to be able to come out here and play golf. But if my golf ever started affecting my home life or if it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or with my son, you know, that's going to be the last day that I play out here for a living. I would much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer.' Amen. Royal PortrushThursday-SundayTV Sky Sports, coverage starts 6.30am
