Think about your goals. What do you envision happening when you achieve them? Will you be rich? Will you be famous? Or will you be a do-gooder?
For many people, wealth and fame are tangential to their goals. They generally don’t cite them as the desired end result, but they are kept as lingering expectations. That is reward-driven success.
Even expecting a thank you or a pat on the back can make you reward-driven. A self-proclaimed altruist who is upset when he is not thanked is not an altruist at all.
If you are doing what you do for money, fame, or even a thank you, get out of the game now.
I occasionally catch myself disappointed when my efforts to help go un-thanked, or worse, unnoticed. I remind myself it was the impact I was striving for and not the thank you.