The Lie We Tell Ourselves About Business Goals (And What Actually Drives Success)

Ever sit down to work on your business and feel... nothing? Not burned out exactly, just completely unmotivated to do the things you know need to get done?

I was there a few weeks ago. Six years into building Mylance, and I found myself in this weird spiral: avoiding the work, watching the business stall, feeling worse about it, avoiding more work. Rinse and repeat.

Then my business coach asked me a deceptively simple question that cracked everything open.

"What activities do you actually enjoy?"

I started listing them: talking to customers, building software, writing content, analyzing metrics, product design, business strategy. The list kept going. I love so much of what I get to do every day.

So why the hell was I so unmotivated?

The "I'll Be Happy When" Trap

Here's what I realized: I wasn't connected to the work. I was obsessed with the outcomes. Growth rates. Retention numbers. Revenue milestones. All the metrics we're told matter most.

And look - knowing your numbers is important. But when that becomes your sole focus, something breaks.

We've all bought into this lie: I'll be happy when the business hits X revenue. I'll feel fulfilled when we're growing at Y percent. I'll relax when I have Z in the bank.

Society glorifies this thinking. LinkedIn is basically a highlight reel of funding announcements and revenue milestones. We celebrate hitting targets because winning feels good - and there's nothing wrong with that.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: the bar for happiness from money is shockingly low. Once your basic needs are met and you can afford a few nice things, more money doesn't actually increase your happiness.

And you know what happens the moment you hit that goal you've been chasing? You immediately start thinking about the next one. It's never enough. It will never be enough.

The Paradox That Changes Everything

Life is full of paradoxes, and this is one of the biggest: when you're desperately attached to a result, you almost never get it.

Think about dating. When you're anxious and desperate to impress someone, that energy is repulsive. But when you show up as your confident, vibrant, authentic self? You're magnetic.

Business works the same way.

When I focus on the activities I love - solving real problems for people I genuinely care about - that's when the growth actually happens. The revenue follows. The business outcomes become a byproduct of showing up with the right energy, not the goal I'm white-knuckling toward.

It sounds backwards, but getting where you want to go requires focusing on something else entirely.

Aligning Your Business with Your Zone of Genius

So how do you actually do this? For me, it starts with separating my identity from the business outcome.

I am not the business. If I shut it down tomorrow and it's a "failure," I am not a failure. I still have value to add. I'm still successful as a human being.

That separation creates space to ask the real questions: What do I truly love doing? What sets me apart? Where does my genius actually lie?

The more time you spend in your zone of genius - using your actual superpowers - the more fulfilled you are. And paradoxically, the better your outcomes become.

Here's my recommendation: Spend 1% of your time setting goals and 99% deciding what activities you're amazing at that solve problems you care about.

That's really what this is all about.

What to Do with the Stuff You Hate

Now, I don't expect you to love every part of building a business. Bookkeeping? Administrative tasks? There's probably something that makes you want to crawl under your desk.

That's fine. Here's what you do:

Option 1: Outsource it. Hand it to a VA, a contractor, or hire someone whose zone of genius happens to be your zone of misery. You think you're giving them a terrible task; they're thrilled to receive it. Win-win.

Option 2: Time-block it ruthlessly. Two hours a week, non-negotiable. Wednesday at 4pm and Thursday at 4pm, you knock out all the stuff you hate. Then reward yourself with a glass of wine or whatever motivates you.

The goal is to increase the percentage of your day spent doing what you love. Go deeper and deeper into those activities. Let the rest become a contained, manageable part of your week instead of a cloud hanging over everything.

The Energy Shift That Changes Your Business

When you approach your business from a place of love instead of desperation, everything shifts. Your quality of work improves. You have more energy. You actually want to work instead of procrastinating and distracting yourself.

You stop thinking, "I have to do all these things." You start thinking, "I get to do all these things."

That mindset isn't just feel-good fluff - it's the foundation of sustainable success. Because here's the thing about fractional work: if it's not sustainable, it doesn't matter. You can grind for six months or a year, but eventually you'll burn out if you're not connected to why you started in the first place.

The Bottom Line

You didn't leave your W-2 job to chase metrics that leave you feeling empty. You left to build something meaningful, help people you care about, and live a life with flexibility and purpose.

So if you're feeling unmotivated, disconnected, or stuck in that endless "I'll be happy when" loop, try this: reconnect with what you actually love about the work. Focus on serving customers you genuinely care about. Let the outcomes follow.

They will. I promise.

Mylance

This article was written by Mylance, the LinkedIn content system built for founders and experts who want consistent, high-quality posts that attract clients. We help you lock in your positioning, clarify your ideal customer, and build a content strategy that actually resonates. Then our system gives you a content calendar, drafts posts in your authentic voice, and keeps you accountable - so you stay visible and attract the right clients while saving hours each week!If you’re ready to grow your presence and pipeline on LinkedIn, sign up at Mylance.co.