My kids have worked really hard through their academic careers to achieve good grades. Obviously, this takes hard work, dedication and discipline.
And, quite honestly, good parenting by my loving wife who helped them and encouraged them to do well at school.
Me, on the other hand… My academic journey may be a topic for another day. Let’s just say I didn’t apply myself as well as I could have.
So with that in mind: Who’s the better student? The one with a 3.94 grade point average, or the one with a 3.95?
Some may say, neither, they’re the same. It’s a rounding error.
Others might say, the one with the higher GPA, they worked harder.
How about this…who’s wealthier? The one with $3 billion or the one with $3.1 billion? Some might say they are both the same, they can buy anything and not run out of money. Others might say, the one with $3.1 billion worked harder.
Which one’s closer? Google Maps gives you 2 options. One route takes 1 hour and 9 minutes, the other takes 1 hour and 10 minutes.
You get the point.
These metrics are foolishly imprecise. The decisions that led to a slightly higher GPA had far more than a hundredth of a percentage point of randomness and judgment calls along the way.
Markets ebb and flow and that extra $0.1 billion can evaporate overnight, or double in the same amount of time.
A one-minute difference in arrival times can easily be evaporated by a traffic jam or getting stuck behind a bus dropping off kids after school.
In the end, it’s a rounding error. And while we humans like to compete and win and have the highest number and arrive in the quickest timeframe, those mere basis points of difference are meaningless in the ultimate scheme of this thing we call life. We love to look at the scoreboard and see who’s winning. It’s woven into the very fabric of our culture. Yet, I’m convinced that there’s something much more important than the external scoreboard. It’s the small things we can’t see on the inside that matters more.
The student with the hundredth lower GPA came from a broken home… His dad left when he was a baby, and his mom works 2 jobs to support his younger brother and him. To supplement the family income, he also works a job stocking shelves before school each morning. He’s extremely tired when he gets home, but he knows that a college education is important. He knows that if he can get a college degree, he can get a good job and provide better for his family than his deadbeat dad ever did. So, he opens up his textbook and studies until late evening, before his eyes drift off to sleep and his alarm goes off at 4am the next morning.
The lady with $3 billion… She worked her way from the mailroom to the top. She started several companies along the way and strategically bought up her smaller competition in an effort to grow her company and provide for her customers. Against all odds, she’s dyslexic. She dropped out of high school because she didn’t connect with common core and was being bullied. She wanted more for herself. She believed she could do it, and so she did.
The family driving for 1 hour and 9 minutes… They head to the hospital for their child’s weekly appointment. Another checkup for their 3-year-old that’s been diagnosed with cancer. He’s a good kid. Doesn’t deserve this. He smiles nonetheless and plays with his toys just like the other kids. His prognosis isn’t great. But his mom and dad try to take the shorter route to get him to his appointments early, to get him the help and hope he needs.
Everyone has a story. Often one you know nothing about. The external scoreboard shows one thing, but the internal scoreboard shows another. The discipline and hard work that many people put in on a daily basis pales in comparison to the metrics revealed. In the end, it’s a rounding error. The story matters more.
Don’t let the numbers tell the story. Often, they’re a rounding error of difference between success and significance.
Do the work.
Live your story well.
Don’t play comparison games.
Live true to yourself and to your values.
Work today to become a better version of yourself tomorrow.
Make progress. Be a blessing to those around you.
And live on purpose today.
