I wake up and instantly reach for my phone to see if my boss has messaged me. I get dressed and begin working, prioritizing tasks that I think will push me closer to my next promotion. I agonize over my upcoming performance review. Eventually I receive my performance review and my boss promotes me – I have achieved my goal! Relief washes over me and I enjoy the rest of that day. I wake up the next day and rush to check my phone – time to start working towards my next promotion.
I wake up, drink some coffee, then grab my skis and head to the mountain. I spend the day skiing challenging terrain – I’m now really good as I do this every day. I end the day by grabbing a beer with my buddy. I head home and walk my dog. I cook dinner, watch a movie and go to bed. Rinse and repeat. Serenity.
I’ve now tried versions of both the “achievement” lifestyle and the “contentment” lifestyle depicted above…and I don’t want either. Neither extreme appeals to me. Unsurprisingly I think I prefer a happy medium between the two approaches.
Achievement and Contentment?
I read a book called Drive by Daniel Pink several years ago and didn’t find it particularly interesting at the time, but as I write this post I’m beginning to see the value of Pink’s thesis. He argued that there are three areas behind our motivation at work: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Research he examined suggested that once employees are paid adequately, increasing pay did not correspond to increased productivity. Consequently the focus of the employer should be on supporting employees in the three categories that Pink believes drive our motivation at work. How does Pink’s thesis relate to my search for balance between achievement and contentment in my own life? I think I can approach achievement/contentment balance if I set goals that: I can pursue autonomously – for example (if I were a salesman), generate x dollars in sales vs. obtain promotion to next role dependent on whether my boss likes me or not; I have intrinsic motivation to master – for example, I thoroughly enjoy betting (and I LOVE betting when I think I have an edge), so improving as an investor (the corporate title for professional bettor) is something I derive satisfaction from regardless of outcome; and I am passionate about – I’m not entirely sure about my “passions”…that’s why I’m hiking alone in the rocks lol.
Anyway, basically I need to be extremely thoughtful in the goals I target, as my pursuit of those goals will eventually compose a substantial portion of my life. If I set goals that seem to match Pink’s criteria, and I continually remind myself to derive satisfaction from the journey and not just the destination…maybe simultaneous achievement and contentment is indeed possible.
*In hindsight I wrote this largely with my professional life in mind, but I think the framework applies to goal-setting across all domains.
Noah's (Life) Ark 