Be careful what you wish for...

I’m currently preparing for one of the biggest days of my life, and it suddenly occurred to me that the one thing I have been waiting so long for (in fact 25 years) is the one thing that right now is scaring me right down to my socks.  

 

Have you ever wanted something so much, done so much in preparation for, and been incredibly excited about, that when it comes close to fruition there’s something at the back of your mind that tells you ‘…hey I’m feeling really scared about this right now’?

For some of us there is much excitement in the thrill of the chase, while for others there is great satisfaction in the achievement itself or in the size of the score.

Where are you in this scale – do you most enjoy the chase or do you most enjoy the achievement?  Of course we all have some sense of satisfaction when we achieve our goals, but what is your process of getting there?

For people like me, the sense of hope, the thrill of the chase, and the wishing, have all been a stable part of my life.  Don’t get me wrong I do work hard to achieve my goals, I do have a sense of purpose in what I do, and I do enjoy my achievements...  but there has often been a sense of ‘I’m not good enough to have this’ or ‘if I actually achieve this, then what?’  No more thrill?  No more wishing?  Hence my sense of nervousness – after all, who will I be at the other end?

For other people I know, working and achieving their goals, being proud of the ‘notches on their belt’ and focussing on success, has most often been done without any sense of doubting themselves.  I noticed that wishing for something doesn’t generally come into their frame of mind, because wishing doesn’t get you anywhere, and as to the question “Who will I be at the other end?”  Well me, of course!

So, which way do you generally lean?  Do you lean toward hope?  Or do you lean toward achievement?  Now don’t get me wrong – neither of these leanings is wrong, in fact it would be a pretty boring world if we were all the same.

In terms of personal and professional development though, can you choose between being hopeful or being achievement focussed?  Are you able to recognise when being hopeful isn’t working for you – and then just get on and do something different?  Are you able to recognise when being achievement-focussed leaves you a bit flat, or when looking for the next ‘notch’ to get that achievement rush becomes more and more extreme – and then just stop and feel something different?

Is the answer to be able to have hope and achievement at the same time?  That sounds like trying to rub your head and tap your tummy at the same time!

Have you tried to shift from being hopeful to being achievement-focussed or vice versa?  What works for you?