Be proud of who you became chasing it, even if you didn’t catch all of it.

Pursuing something difficult changes you regardless of whether you reach it. The discipline, the tolerance for setbacks, the people you met and what you learned on the way all stay with you, and none of them are contingent on the outcome. Measuring the whole attempt purely by whether you arrived erases most of what actually happened. Falling short is not the same as having nothing to show.

List what you gained during the attempt, separately from the result. Habits, skills, friendships, a clearer sense of what you want. Then choose what to aim at next from that position rather than from disappointment.