A Goal Realized: The View From Here.

For this article, I figured I would branch out a bit and leave out all of the reasons why the three major pillars of your business need to be strengthened, so that your business can run in tip-top shape.

While there is plenty of time to explore those areas more, I thought I might put a few words down about what happens when everything in your business is running, exactly the way you wanted it to be for a change!

I know with some of the goals I've accomplished, sometimes when we arrive at where we wanted to be, we are very happy of course, but since we’ve worked so hard for so long, a place of rest and relaxation almost seems foreign to us…Imagine that?

Before we reach our pinnacle place (and we’ll have many of those in our lifetime), we're trying to use all of our creative skills to accomplish whatever goals we have in front of us. So much so, that the “struggle” almost becomes a very close friend. As we work harder to push through blocks and obstacles, our brain becomes hardwired for this type of activity. So when we do get the chance to unwind, we almost can’t enjoy it! After spinning our wheels for so long, once we slow down and can see straight, we expect there to be something much different, than what often shows up.

While this is not a case against working to make your business or anything in your life work as well as it can, I would imagine that there’s a large population of executives wondering, “What will I do, now that my goals have been met?”

If you happen to be here (or very close to it), I want you to understand that everyone goes through this stage, especially after reaching a very large goal that’s been realized. After the highs and celebrations simmer down, we’re left with a quiet, almost empty space that needs to be filled with something. From personal experience, this happened to me right after I finished writing my first book. After months and months of editing and what seemed like thousands of hours at my computer, I had a very different vision as to what “that moment” would look like. When the last sentence was down, there were no major bells and whistles going off, and no jumps for joy. If anything, I reached this place long before the book was completed! I felt “the end” and the joy of it, so many times before the book was finished. So much so, that when I finally got there, I was a bit speechless because I expected the feelings to be, so much greater than they were. So, if you are a bit hesitant about finishing what you know could make the difference, I want you to know that there’s no reason for you to slow down or quit now, just before you reach your destination. Why? Because they’ll be plenty more for you to accomplish, after a little R + R!

For people who are high achievers (and most of those are athletes, musicians or business owners), you already know from past experiences – even the best ones, that there is always another peak to scale.

Isn’t it amazing to know that when we strive for so long just to be “free,” and when we get there, we almost immediately would like to be onto something else? I know, even though I write about this, it perplexes me, too!

So regardless, keep pushing onward to where you really wanted to be. You’ll get there, and you’ll feel fantastic. You’ll celebrate with family, friends, and some co-workers perhaps, then you’ll rest for a while, and get used to having your “to do list,” empty. Then what? Well, if your business goals have been reached and this will last for quite some time, you can put all of that extra energy into some other areas of your life that could use it, after the long journey to the summit. The good news about this transition is that you get to achieve goals that are just as important, but without the deadlines and the late nights.

In essence, you’ll be working with and using your skills for sure, but it will be at a much more relaxed and enjoyable pace. This is where the “pinnacle” really is, at least for me. No matter what, I’ll always be working on accomplishing something valuable, but it’s how I’m going about it that really counts, as far as how I feel about it.

So take the time with family and friends (or even yourself), and work on something in such a way where you can fully relax into what you’re doing, instead of having the pedal to the floor. Sometimes, putting cruise control on and driving the speed limit can actually be exciting. (Does that mean I’m getting older now?) There is probably a little truth to that, but after some time, take it a bit easier and you’ll see exactly what I mean. There is a time to put those long hours in and break some limits you didn’t think you had, and there is a time to slow down. However, the journey and the steps – at this pace, can be just as invigorating, because you’ll see what’s developing in real-time, as you are taking your steps forward.

If you’re wondering about how reaching this goal will look when you get “there,” and you’re a bit worried about arriving…Relax. You’ve already been here, many times before. You’ll soon find yourself with some other meaningful activities to immerse yourself in. If it’s not another huge business goal that’s on your plate, it might be something entirely unrelated – but still just as important to you. As long as we’re alive, there will always be something meaningful for us to do with our time.

To make this transition easier, you can start thinking about what some of those things might be now. So, when you arrive, you’ll already have a plan for the next day, or maybe even over the next few weeks, perhaps. The most important part of this is to take some time out to fully appreciate the long journey you’ve worked so hard for. You arrived here so that you could be proud, and so that you could finally relax. So, make this your first priority. Then, you can glance around to see what else might need your attention – or should I say, what you would like to give your attention to…

At the end of all of this achievement, it’s amazing to discover that we often find ourselves back in the same place we were in, before we started out – but with a much different outlook. Taking the time to explore where we’ve been is something we’ll be doing for the rest of our lives, no matter how many goals we reach, so get used to the idea! It’s just the natural cycle of how life works, at the office and at home.

Before you know it, you’ll be right back into the swing of finding a new peak to climb, even if it only means that you’ll be spending much more time on what’s important – to you. And, wasn’t that the reason you set out to accomplish these goals to begin with? So, now that you’re here, you really have no other obligation – but to enjoy where you are now!

Just like this article that’s coming to a close, even when I think I’ve written my best piece, or that there's nothing more to say about how to run your business successfully, there will always be another tale to tell…

So, as I write these last few sentences down, it occurred to me to remind you that this “place” is not only what happens when you achieve a momentous goal, but it’s also the place you’ll find yourself in when your business is running in just the way you’ve always imagined it could; but without the stress.

Who knows, if you’ve never been very good at golf, or even interested in it…

Now just might be the perfect time to start!