Strategic people don’t just ask “can I win?” They ask “what does winning cost me?”

Winning carries a price that is easy to leave out of the sum. Hours, sleep, friendships, the other things you would have done, who you had to become along the way. A victory you cannot afford is a loss with a trophy on it. Asking the cost question early is what stops you winning something you never wanted.

Write down what the thing you are chasing costs you each week in hours and energy. Then ask whether you would pay that again knowing what you know now. If not, you can shrink the goal rather than drop it.