Tony Robbins is a genius. He has an uncanny way to make the most complex ideas and concepts about how humans perceive life seem incredibly simple. Maybe, it is because they really are that basic. Maybe, we as humans just do a bang-up job creating distractions and filling our lives with so much background noise that we find we have truly lost touch. Either way, listening to Tony speak on his fundamentals and foundations helps bring a lot of things back into perspective.
One of the key ideas he proposes is the difference between fulfillment and achievement. In the end we have to learn to master both in order to experience true happiness, but getting your “black belt” in these two disciplines is distinctively different.
Have you ever set a goal? Let’s use getting promoted at work as an example. What happened when you hit that goal? Was it everything you ever thought it would be? Sure there is an initial high and cause for celebration, but how long did that euphoria last? Chances are, it came to a screeching halt when you realized just how much additional responsibility you had and how ill-prepared you were to handle it. Within a month or two, you may have even started contemplating your next promotion. You find a way to convince yourself that, “that next promotion, that’s the one. Things will be different when I get that one. That’s when my life will change.”
Trust me, this pattern of thinking plagues us all. It’s the sequel to the same movie that just played out with the same ending. Would you pay to see sequel after sequel of the same movie with the same characters, plot, and ending? I sure hope not.
So many forget that the achievement in setting and hitting a goal comes in between. Mainly, it is who you became during the entirety of the time it took you to hit that goal. You make mistakes, you learned from them, you persevered, you studied, you read, you wrote, you formed good habits, etc. These are the achievements.
Rashad Evans, a former UFC Champion, once said after he won the title, “I thought it would be different.” He woke up the day after the fight, the same person he was the day before he was crowned champion. The only difference was, he had a shiny new belt to carry around. In a few month’s time, he would have to defend the title he worked so hard to achieve. He was afforded a few weeks rest, but then it was straight back to work. Such is life.
It is human to continually set goals. The important thing to emphasize about these goals is the process in between hitting them. Concentrate on the goal itself and you will be sorely disappointed in the long-term. Reflect, acknowledge, and implement all the positive “byproducts” of chasing that goal and you will have achieved something truly special…
(to be continued)
Shields up.
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