You Hit Your Goal! Now What?

You just accomplished a goal you had in front of you for the last six months, year, five years, or lifetime. Obstacles were overcome, challenges were risen to, and the struggle has finally turned into success! You fought the good fight, slayed the dragon, and you have reached the metaphorical mountaintop. You did it. You did it! YOU DID IT! Way to go!

Now what?

Don’t be surprised if it feels a bit different than you expected. Many times when you move from a time of intentional focus on a goal to actually achieving that goal there is a letdown. Author and psychology expert Tal Ben-Shahar calls this feeling arrival fallacy. In essence, as you work towards a goal and are convinced you’ll achieve it, your brain starts to adjust to your new reality before you get there so when you reach the goal, it is often not the peak mountaintop experience you expected.

So how do you move forward and get out of your arrival fallacy mini-funk? Here are some ideas to get you moving in the right direction:

1. Celebrate success. At times we are so focused on a goal, when we achieve it, especially when experiencing the letdown we just discussed, we are exhausted. Take time to celebrate. It can be private or public, with friends and those who supported you, or simply treating yourself to something. Celebrating success is important. It can wipe out some of those blues and it serves to remind yourself that your goal was worth it.
2. Take stock of your life. Reflect on the journey to accomplishing your goal, and be grateful for what you learned and how you changed along the way. Dig into some of the following questions:
   • What was the biggest obstacle you overcame and how did you do it?
   • Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently? (Don’t use this to second guess yourself, but to grow from the experience and add to your toolset for your next adventure.)
   • How have I grown from the experience? It could be skills you gained, principles you have learned, relationships you have formed or distanced from as part of your journey. Even bad experiences can pay you back later if you learn how not to do something.
3. Examine your purpose. Why was the goal important to you? Is it a step in a larger journey that reflects who you are and what you value? The busy buzz of life keeps us from doing important reflection, and nothing is more beneficial than recalibrating on your purpose. We can all get off course when we are not intentional, so reminding yourself who you are and what you are all about can be key to understanding what is next.

The conventional wisdom will tell you to set a new goal. That’s not a bad idea – goals can certainly be a great tool in motivating us to move forward. In setting a new goal, be careful not to fall into the striving trap. What is that? The striving trap is like a monkey through swinging from tree to tree through the jungle, constantly in motion, but never really getting anywhere of value. It can be tempting — even euphorically intoxicating — to be constantly in motion. However, we were made as human beings, not human doings. That is why knowing your purpose is so important. There is a rhythm of work, rest, and play that should be maintained. Always resting is laziness. Always playing is irresponsible. Always working is missing out on life.

So set goals, sure, but make sure they align with your purpose. You may find that now is a time to rest and rejuvenate for a short season. You may discover that in reaching your most recent goal, some important relationships have been set aside and need to be rekindled. You may find that the intensity it took to accomplish your goal sucked some of the joy out of life, so you need some time to relax and play. Setting a new goal may be best for you, but don’t be a mindless monkey just trying to stay in motion. Crack open a coconut, peel back a banana, hang out in a barrel full of, well, friends and then see what is is next. Staying true to your purpose and being intentional about next steps will help make your life not just successful, but meaningful.