What do you expect of yourself? Do you think these expectations would be different if you lived in a remote area of the world with little access to outside information? What if you lived in 1963?
I would argue that as we learn more about all that we could accomplish, the more we expect to accomplish.
For example, when is the last time you picked up a newspaper and saw an article about an individual 10 years younger than you who is the CEO of a company with 300 employees? Shortly after putting the paper down, you wonder why you have accomplished so little. Or how about turning on the TV for a few minutes and flipping through the channels? Chances are that you will see at least one commercial filled with perfectly beautiful people challenging you to get rock hard abs, whiter teeth or a full head of hair.
In a hyper competitive world, people feel the need to hype their accomplishments at all times. This non-stop promotion has created an environment where sitting still for even a minute is frowned upon. I don’t care if you were just named CEO of the largest company in the world.
While I am not certain that I am a big fan of this environment, I do know that I have no choice but to join the crowd. In addition, dedication to some sort of self improvement is a valuable characteristic. There is no standing still – you are either getting better or getting worse.
The problem is that most of us expect victory overnight and unless we achieve it, we are never happy. If you read an article about a young CEO you want to be a CEO the next day. Nothing else will suffice.
Unfortunately, unless your last name is Trump, you can’t become a CEO in a day and this means that you are setting yourself up for constant failure and frustration.
I have a suggestion for you.
Instead of set such unrealistic expectations of yourself, why not break it down into daily victories? What about looking into an MBA program before you go to bed tonight instead of going from a sales rep to a corporate tycoon.
The interesting thing about success is that it is typically accompanied by momentum. Get some wins under your belt on a daily basis and you will be amazed at all that you can accomplish over time.
CJ McClanahan
reachmore
www.GoReachMore.com
(317) 576-8492
“We are what we repeatedly do. Success then is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
Tags: accomplishments, achieve, goals, Habits