The Life Cycle Of Achievement, In My Experience (Part 2)

"I don't want to get any messages saying, "I am holding my position." We are not holding a G#ddamned thing. Let the Germans do that. We are constantly advancing, and we are not interested in holding onto anything, except the enemy's balls. We are going to twist his balls and kick the living sh#t out of him all of the time. Our basic plan of operation is to advance and to keep on advancing regardless of whether we have to go over, under, or through the enemy. We are going to go through him like crap through a goose; like sh#t through a tin horn!" - Patton

I've learned to see goals like this. We will never reach any goal in life and be able to lay back for the rest of our years, sipping cocktails and getting fat as ticks. Celebrate, sure, but I get bored on vacation after a few days. Everyone I know does. It's natural, but why? Well, we love the hunt and the closure and then what do we do? We look for the next hunt. This is the sweet spot. Success and hitting goals are cyclical and repeating.

When we hit a major goal, we're at the top of the wave, and a part of us wants to set up camp there and live forever in perfection, but that isn't how it works! We can't stay on that peak forever, we have to build a new peak/goal to get that feeling back, but here's the thing. We tend to look at this cycle as a problem. Why can't I just be satisfied? Why do I always look for a new thing? Why can't I just freeze myself in this feeling in some kind of Han Solo Cryosleep and live in bliss forever? Again, It's not how this works and here's why...

The process, risks, experiences and action that we went through to hit that last big goal are what gives us such satisfaction, and there is a time limit on this. The drug wears off. It's what we do when it wears off that separates the average person from the exceptional.

I hate the feeling I have experienced when I had no big goal. I feel dead. So what's the answer? 

I think we already know. Advance constantly. Learn to despise mediocrity. Attack. In writing this, I'm doing it to remind myself.

If you missed part 1, click HERE!

Evan

 

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