It is true that success is a very beautiful and amazing thing. When you have worked so hard for months or even years, and then finally reach your destination, you will feel very excited about it. Maybe in your place of work, you are promoted because of your outstanding performance. Or maybe you hit your target on weight loss. Or you have been able to save up to a particular amount of money. In these moments of victory, it is very natural to feel proud. However, it is at this moment of victories and high achievement that a very dangerous trap lies. This is the trap of "I have arrived." That is, feeling that you have achieved everything that needs to be achieved.
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A lot of people think that achieving a single goal means reaching their final destination. Their brain will tell them "good job, you did it, so it is time to finally relax." What you have to understand is that when you believe that you have arrived, your mind will immediately shift. You will stop doing the things that got you to the top in the first place. You will stop being hungry for more steps, rather you will become docile, thinking that you are already at the top. A friend once said that "you should not stop doing what got you to the top if you want to remain at the top." When you achieve a goal, you have to understand that it is not a destination, there will also be other more goals to achieve.
I remember when two of my friends got a modelling gig for a particular brand. But it required them to reduce their weight a bit, and get some abs. The modelling was scheduled for the next 3 months, so they had time to work on themselves. They registered in a local gym and was working hours daily just to achieve their goal. They also placed themselves on certain diet. At first, the journey looked so difficult and almost impossible, but they decided to give it their shot. Finally, they hit their targeted bodybuild. It felt so amazing to them. They did the modelling gig so well and was paid. Imagine achieving that kind of feat in just under 3 months, it felt like a milestone achievement, which it actually is.
However, after getting paid and the gig was done, one of them stopped working out. He felt he had arrived. But the second guy was still working out, trying to be fit and maintain his body. A few months later, the first guy had gone back to looking the same way he was before he started exercising, while the second guy was still fit and in shape. The first guy thought that the modelling gig was the only one that would come in that way. However, a few months later, a similar gig came up, but this time, there was no time to prepare, so they had to take only the second guy because his body fits in. The first guy had the "I have arrived" mentality, so he become relaxed. While the second guy was hungry for self-improvement. This made him to constantly work to make himself better.
One of the dangerous things about having "I have arrived" mentality, is that it is an enemy of growth. There are some people that, if they achieve something big, they will become protective of their status. That is, instead of playing to win, they will begin to play not to lose. At that point, they become scared to take any risk, because they think that taking risk and failing would ruin their perfect record. What they do not understand is that the world evolves, trends also evolve, and new era begin. If you stop growing, and if you stop improving on yourself, you will be left behind and what you consider achievement may become obsolete.
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There was a particular phone brand that I observed many years back. It was among the best of the best at that time. Everyone wanted one. However, many years down the line, they did not flow with the market, and probably they may be thinking that they will remain at the top, but they are nowhere to be found now. It is not enough to achieve success in your field, but you also need to sustain the success. You have to keep reminding yourself that your goals and your successes are not a finish line, they are not destination, rather they are to give you direction.
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