The Byproduct of Meaningful Work

Daily Boost Podcast Show Notes

Why Chasing Success Actually Prevents You From Getting It

October 2, 2025 | Episode 5194

Host: Scott Smith

Episode Description

How's your life going? That's a big question, isn't it?

Sometimes success feels just out of reach, even when you're doing everything right. Scott dives into Viktor Frankl's counterintuitive wisdom from "Man's Search for Meaning" that completely flips how we think about achievement and happiness.

This isn't about giving up or settling. It's about the weird paradox successful people face - the harder you chase something, the more it slips away. Scott shares why he tells his coaching clients "I just don't care, but I care" and how that mindset shift changes everything.

Featured Story

A longtime listener reaches out during his darkest hour - battling cancer at 2 AM, finding Scott's voice to get him through until dawn. The story hits Scott differently this time, reminding him how real life gets for people out there.

It's the kind of moment that stops you cold. Here's someone using the podcast as a lifeline during treatment, and Scott realizes he doesn't consciously try to help anyone - he just shows up and does what he does.

That's when Viktor Frankl's wisdom about success being a byproduct clicks into place. The beautiful things happen when you're busy doing meaningful work, not when you're chasing the outcome.

Important Points

Success is like happiness - you can't pursue it directly, it only shows up as a side effect of dedication to something greater than yourself.

The destination only appears when you stop looking for the map - otherwise you're just stuck on the journey.

Excellence in what you're doing right now matters more than obsessing over the outcome.

Memorable Quotes

"Don't aim for success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you're going to miss it."

"I just don't care. But I care. But I don't care."

"When Scott does what Scott does, when Scott doesn't worry about it, there is a byproduct that really cool things happen to me and to you."

Scott's Three-Step Approach

Shift your focus from outcomes to excellence in what you're doing right now.

Find something bigger than your personal ambitions that gives your work deeper purpose.

Practice surrender - let go of tight control to allow natural excellence to flow through you.

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