I didn’t come this far to only come this far.
My 34th birthday is this weekend and I find myself, as I do most years around this time, reflecting on where I am currently in my life and where I am going. I saw a quote from the GOAT, Tom Brady, during his 2016 playoff run with the Patriots. When asked about the grind of the season and how he still stays motivated after all he has accomplished he said simply, I didn’t come this far to only come this far. That really resonated with me.
When setting goals, there is always an end game. That is exactly what a goal is. A defined objective that one aspires to complete. Here is what get’s lost in goal setting and accomplishment. The focus ends up being the end, the completion, reaching that mountaintop.
You hear people say things like this…
When I make it…
When I get to the top…
Until I reach my goal…
For much of my life my mindset was only on the end game. Once I reach this goal I will be satisfied. Once I earn this title everything will fall into place. One of the best feelings in the world is the feeling of accomplishment after working your tail off to reach an established objective you have set for yourself. I can still feel that rush of emotions I had walking out of the education building after defending my dissertation. I can still vividly remember looking down at the scale and seeing my goal weight staring back at me after months of hard work and dedication.
Here is what most self proclaimed leadership gurus don’t mention when they talk about goal setting and accomplishment. The truth is, the rush of dopamine that comes with accomplishment doesn’t last as long as you would think. That feeling of accomplishment eventually subsides and you find yourself wondering, now what?
I am not trying to devalue the importance of setting and reaching goals. I talk about it all the time and it is the foundation of everything I live by. I think it is extremely important to have goals and reach those goals. That is how progress is made.
Here is what I am emphasizing. What makes life truly great, what makes it worthwhile, is not goal accomplishment. It’s the journey. The continued pursuit of growth. The constant seeking of improvement. If the journey wasn't challenging, the destination wouldn't be rewarding. It's the challenge that makes the greatness. It’s embracing the process of improvement and finding continuous ways to better yourself no matter how high you have flown.
I want to bring this concept full circle. Tom Brady is the perfect example of what it means to embrace the journey. He has defied the odds and set a bar so high that it is highly unlikely that anyone will ever reach it again. The only reason he has been able to do this is because he lives for the process, not the end game. If he rested on his laurels, he would have stopped with his first improbable super bowl win back in 2002 after replacing an injured Drew Bledsoe. Instead, 20 years later, he has earned more super bowls by himself than any other NFL franchise. It goes Tom Brady 7, Pittsburg Steelers 6, New England Patriots 6.
