I experienced an outcome a few days ago that should have, at least for a while, felt positive. But it didn’t feel that way.
Somewhere along the way, I think I had set my sights on a possible grander outcome. And now that I had moved the goalposts, what I had didn’t feel all that great.
I reflect on this idea from time to time – especially when someone asks for my career/life story. I don’t think I could have imagined the life I lead right now two decades ago. It was the stuff of dreams just a decade ago.
And yet, it is so easy to take it all for granted by simply moving goalposts. I’m here now – so it is natural to spend all my time thinking about how to get there. There’s always a “there” – a good reason to forget about the magic of “here.”
It is human to keep raising our expectations and to thus keep moving those goalposts. It takes a lot of discipline and commitment to nudge ourselves when we do and remind ourselves to not take our current reality for granted.
All that discipline and commitment is worth it though. When we habitually move goalposts, life just becomes a bottomless pit of unfulfillment.
Beware moving goalposts.
