“Today is a victory over yourself of yesterday.”

That is a quote from Miyamoto Musashi… kind of. I mean, he probably said it in Japanese. Is it really a quote if it’s a translation? Oops… ADHD taking over… let’s get back on track!

I was reminded of this quote recently, and I get that it was meant to be inspirational. But the skeptic in me started going off. Today is not always a victory. In fact, for most people, it’s not even close.

Let’s pause and make sure we agree on what victory really means.

Victory (noun)

• The overcoming of an enemy or antagonist.
• Achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties.
  

That’s not just doing your job. That’s not just showing up. That’s not just sliding another day down the same track you’ve been on since college.

Most people don’t do that kind of victory on most days. Honestly? Most don’t even do it once a month. Some… maybe not even once a year.

Think about it. When was the last time you truly overcame something that scared you? When was the last time you pushed through resistance, leveled up, or learned a skill that actually changed your life?

If most people are being brutally honest, the answer is “back in school.” That was the last time they were forced to stretch, struggle, and grow. After that, life became more about following the river than climbing the mountain.

Sure, they “advance.” Junior engineer becomes senior engineer. Marketing Associate becomes VP of Marketing. But is that victory (or just the river flowing into the ocean because it has nowhere else to go)?

A river doesn’t choose its path. It doesn’t resist. It doesn’t fight the odds. It just goes where it’s always gone. That’s not victory. That’s inevitability.

And that’s the uncomfortable truth: most people live their lives like rivers. They go with the current, maybe gathering a few pebbles along the way, but never choosing the struggle that could transform them into something greater.

Which brings me back to Musashi. Victory over yourself of yesterday isn’t just showing up. It’s not “business as usual.” It’s doing something today that your yesterday-self couldn’t (or wouldn’t) do.

Most people rarely experience that. Which means when you actually do… you’re in rare air.

Matthew McConaughey once said that the person he admires is himself… in five years. That’s who he’s chasing.

So ask yourself. Are you becoming the person your today self will admire?