“Growth is the only evidence of life.” —John Henry Newman
In business and in coaching we often speak of establishing SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound). Checking off SMART goals can create a mental trophy case of accomplishments and achievements. The practice may also have a dark side of accomplishment addiction and anxiety.
If you have a high need for achievements, then you need to read “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck and “Flying Without A Net: Turn Fear of Change Into Fuel for Success” by Thomas J. DeLong.
Achievement addiction can create enormous drive and motivation to achieve great accomplishments. It can also mask an extremely fragile ego or sense of self that requires constant protection from the harsh reality of needing to accept responsibility to change. The need for achievement can force a person into only pursuing accomplishments that are safely within their strengths and area of expertise. We tend to repeat variations of past successes instead of risking feeling like a beginner and needing to practice and learn new strategies and techniques to blaze new trails. We would rather not try than risk failure or feeling incompetent. We become a mere caretaker of the fixed monument of our past success. We live a life of repeat, rehash and face-saving self-preservation. We stop growing and risk stagnation and obsolescence.
What if we make our SMART goal for life growth? Can you redefine accomplishment to mean not what you have done, but how much you have grown? Can getting better at being human be as satisfying as getting successfully done? A growth goal will not ask, “What have you achieved?” Rather, the key question will be, “What have you learned?” Do you want to get done with life or get better?
Who could you become if you focused your efforts on growing up?
Ready to fire up your work and your life? I’m an executive coach from Indianapolis, and I work one-on-one with executives and managers, in person for local clients or via Zoom. If this post raised a question about your work or your next step, we should talk. The first discovery call is free and confidential. Book your discovery call, or call or text me at 317-643-0058, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5.
