What the Polar Vortex can teach us about Achieving Our Goals
There’s a message that I’ve heard (often) from various ‘thought leaders’ about goal setting and personal achievement, which I think can be both aggregated and summarized as such:
RAISE YOUR STANDARDS.
I.E. – Set your goals higher than they currently are. Set your goals higher than you think you should. Set your goals higher than you think you’re capable of achieving.
And here’s what I think the Polar Vortex can teach us about this very premise.
After this cold spell has passed… After temperatures reach -30 degrees… After you’ve walked outside in arctic temperatures that make you shutter and shake and curse the world… After that, a new day will come.
A new day will come, and with it…higher temperatures. Higher temperatures, like 10 degrees.
And you know what? 10 degrees above zero, will feel FANTASTIC.
OK, what’s the point?
The point is… Once you’ve gone through this “polar vortex”, 10 degrees will actually feel FANTASTIC.
Get it?
Our thoughts, our outlook, our attitude, and in fact our beliefs…are RELATIVE.
You are actually going to feel WARM, when it’s 10 degrees above zero. It is about the standard that your mind is used to. Even when that standard was established during a cold spell that lasted just 1-2 days. That’s how adaptable and powerful your mind is.
Are you getting this?
Let me break it down a little more:
During this insanely cold couple of days, your mind will establish what it is to be “cold”. Then…when the temperature “rises” to 10, you’ll actually think it’s “warm”.
WTF?
It is about the standard that you set. It is about the standard that your brain establishes. It is about the standard that you…accept.
When the standard that you accept is that -20 is what it means to be ‘cold’, then 10 degrees above zero feels WARM…even though you know that it’s really not.
When the standard that you accept is that 1 pushup achieved is ‘good’, then 2 pushups feel even better…even though you know that it’s really not.
When the standard that you accept is that your income is ‘good’, then a marginal increase feels better…even though you know you could be earning more.
When the standard that you accept is that your relationships are ‘good’, then the status quo might seem ‘good’ too…even though you know they can be better.
When the standard that you accept is that your life is ‘good’, comfort sets in and you believe it really is ‘good’…when deep down, you know it can be better.
Deep down…you know, that you aren’t living to your potential. But hey…things are ‘good’.
What standard are you willing to accept?
WHAT IF…you raised your standards?
WHAT IF…you didn’t let the status quo determine what was ‘good enough’ for you?
WHAT IF…the goals you set weren’t based on your current standard of ‘good’?
WHAT IF…you stopped comparing what’s possible, to what you’ve thus far witnessed?
WHAT IF…you set the bar so ridiculously HIGH, that THAT standard…became THE standard?
Then…would ‘good enough’, be good enough?
Arctic winds are blowing. Shit is COLD. But does that really mean that 10 degrees (above zero) is warm? I think you know the answer.
You’ve got goals that you want to achieve. But does that mean that those goals represent all you’re capable of?
I think you know the answer.
