by Grace Pappadellis ’29 on February 5, 2026
Opinion - Entertainment & Society
You are an intentional being whether you like it or not. Even in your subconscious mind, you act based on what you value most. You practice, you perfect, you frantically seek gratification—success originating from what you truly want to succeed at. The goal to master something you love is an immense goal, something humans don’t always let themselves achieve. You can work tirelessly, aiming to rise to the standard you have set for yourself—pure flawlessness—and the realization that perfection is nearly impossible only makes you strive for it with more alacrity. You want to achieve this perfection because you love what you are doing, you care about it, and you want your achievements to reflect who you are to the world. To hold something in high esteem is to devote time and effort, passion and energy. Therefore, the outcome always matters to us; even when your success is obvious and bountiful, it may not be enough to satisfy you.
I believe people have a tendency to ignore their own accomplishments when they’ve set high, sometimes unrealistic, standards for themselves. They love what they do so vehemently that their ability to recognize that they have attained what they once sought for is diluted by perfectionism. There is an addicting zeal conjured from a relentless love.
My contention is not rooted in any specific psychological study, but in experience of my own. Throughout the past couple of years, I developed a strong love for running. Although I did other sports when I was younger, running was not an activity integrated into my athletic life, never mind my daily routine. The more running I do, the better trained I am, and I am more apt to want to get even better—push my own limits—because that particular feeling of accomplishment is irreplaceable to me. I can’t say that my success is linear; in fact, the lethargy and time commitment that comes with daily running and training can hinder my mindset and overall consideration of myself. Not every run is the same and such a fluctuating sport can make it difficult to track how much running I should be doing, how to fuel, when to sleep, when to go harder, or when to take a momentary rest. However, I’ve grown to love all parts of it. I’ve found the satisfying soreness to be proof of my progress, proof of my dedication. Even when the peak feeling of running is hard to reach at all times, I know it is getting easier, courtesy of my longstanding efforts and ongoing love.
You will never be able to master what you love most because you will always be doing what you love most—it is your priority. To continue to do something is to get better at it, even when you are forced to take two steps back before getting to that new and improved place. Instead of getting stuck in the mindset that your successes will never be enough, you must relish in the process leading to success, experiencing the significant accomplishments, and also acknowledging the ones that seem trivial. When you love something, and you work at it, completely “mastering” this activity is not feasible. However, you have mastered something less tangible, that being indisputable love so personal to you that only you can understand it. You should feel accomplished with that in itself.