“There is no point at which you can say, ‘Well, I’m successful now. I might as well take a nap.'” – Carrie Fisher
Three different clients of mine achieved their most powerful goals this past week. For two of them, the big achievement was followed by a big emotional letdown. It was not at all how they had expected to feel.
I assured them that this actually often happens, even to those who win gold medals in the Olympic Games.
Like people training for the Olympics, my clients were putting in extra effort daily for a very long period of time. They were constantly focused on the goal. The actual achievement of the milestone was a peak experience. There was extraordinary stress for a short period of time as they pushed themselves over the top.
And they achieved the goal.
Like returning Olympians, they found the next days and weeks incredibly ordinary compared to their peak, albeit stressful, experience.
One of my three clients didn’t experience this letdown after her big win.
I coached my other clients on the differences.
Focus on the joy of the journey just as much as on achieving the destination. After all, the journey to achieving big milestones often exceeds 99% of the time spent. For example, years of preparation gets a very few people to the SuperBowl and that is only one hour of game time long.
The best journeys do typically have bold destinations. Determine your next big goals and why they are powerful for you. Prepare so those next goals are sitting on the horizon waiting for you once the present milestone is achieved.
Consider this not just as a personal challenge but a leadership challenge.
Are you leading people on a quest to climb a metaphorical mountain? Are you encouraging everyone to enjoy the view whilst on this epic journey? Are you getting ready to face future challenges?
Yours in the calm pursuit of excellence,
Alan Willett
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