Most of us, at some point or another, think that we will be
happy once we achieve a particular goal.
I'll be happy after I...
graduate from college
make a million dollars
get married
lose 40 pounds
get a job
...and so on.
To be clear, I have been guilty of this as well. There have
been plenty of times that I have assumed that satisfaction and success would
come after I won a championship or after I built a successful business or after
XYZ goal.
Society tells us that this is a good thing. We hear about
athletes that are never satisfied until they have reached the top. We hear
about entrepreneurs who worked like crazy to build a business that changed the
world. The basic idea is that to be driven, you also have to be dissatisfied.
Dissatisfied with second place. Dissatisfied with average.
Then you have the other side of the equation: people who are
happy with life as it is. They say that you need to develop the skill of
"not wanting more." That you can be happy where you are right now.
That you are already perfect.
The Problem
Here's the problem: I want both. Maybe you do too.
I like being happy. It's fun. I don't want to delay
happiness until I reach some milestone. But I also like getting better. I don't
want to settle for less than I can do in life. I'd like to be happy along the
way and achieve my goals.
For a long time, it bothered me that being happy (being
satisfied) and being driven (being dissatisfied) seemed to be at odds with one
another.
I still don't have a lot of this figured out, but the more I
study people who have had a great deal of success, the more I think that it's
possible to be happy and driven.
Here's how...
Driven and Happy
Let's start with being driven. If you want to maximize your
potential, then you will need to continue to work to become better both before
and after you achieve a given goal.
Why would someone do that?
For example, if your goal was to make a million dollars and
you made it, why would you keep working hard after that?
The answer is a little more complicated than you might
think.
The Law of Diminishing Returns
In economics, there is a fundamental principle known as the
Law of Diminishing Returns.
Here's the short definition: as you get more of something,
it becomes less valuable. This isn't just economic theory, a similar trend
happens in real life.
If you have zero money and you make $10,000, then it's
going to be a big deal. But if you have already earned $1 million, then making
another $10,000 doesn't seem as significant. Making each dollar means a lot in
the beginning, but less over time.
If you have never won a championship, then that first
one is going to be incredible. But if you already have five championship rings,
then adding a sixth isn't going to be as sweet as getting the first. Standing
at the top means a lot in the beginning, but less over time.
If you are starting a company, then getting your first
customer is an incredible rush. But if you already have 100 paying clients,
then adding one more doesn't provide the same thrill. Landing each client means
a lot in the beginning, but less over time.
In other words, the goals and results that seem so valuable
to you in the beginning actually become less valuable as you achieve more of
them.
How to Stay Driven
So, if the results mean less as you achieve more of them,
how do you stay driven?
By loving the practice of what you do. It's only the people
who embrace their work as a craft and fall
in love with the boredom of doing it day in and day out that
stay driven over the long-term.
Here are some examples...
Richard Branson is already a billionaire. He
has already built hundreds of companies. He's not still doing it because of the
money. The money stopped meaning a lot to him a long time ago. He's doing it
because he loves the practice of doing it.
Nick Saban has already won four national championships (1
with LSU and 3 with Alabama). He makes over $5 million dollars per year. He's
not coaching football for the money anymore. He's not coaching to "make it
to the top." He's coaching because he loves the process (and he talks
about process all the time).
Jack LaLanne was setting fitness records for
40+ years. He wasn't working out to lose a few pounds. He exercised every
day because he loved it.
Summary: the only way to stay driven before and after
achieving goals is to love the practice of what you do.
How to Be Happy
Guess what? This answer is now easy. If you love the
practice of what you do, if you love the daily work, then you can be happy
before and after you achieve your goals.
When you learn to love the process of what you are doing and
not focus so much on the goal, you automatically find happiness while
staying driven.
If you learn to love the practice of working out, then
you'll be happy right now and you'll see results later. If you learn to love
the practice of marketing your business, then you'll be happy right now and
you'll see results later. If you learn to love the practice of supporting your
friends and family, then you'll be happy now and see the results later.
Source: entrepreneur.com
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