Smelling the Roses
George Leonard, in his book Mastery, discusses his concept of “enjoying the plateau.” This really resonated with me because I, like many of you, find myself always racing to get ahead; thinking so much about my next project and my next goal that I don’t fully appreciate the time in between. In other words, I don’t find the real happiness I desire in every moment. I don’t always stop and smell the roses along the way.
Exploring All that Life Offers
I have discovered that happiness is not in the getting but in the becoming. It’s a joy that comes as a result of positive activity in pursuit of worthy ambitions. Happiness and fulfillment is both the joy of discovery and the joy of knowing – it’s opening yourself to experiencing the full range of life’s symphony, the highs and lows; and everything in between. Happiness is exploring all that life offers.
“Good Job, Self!”
Have you ever taken the time to enjoy and to bask in the glory of what you have already accomplished? That’s enjoying the plateau. The antithesis of beating yourself up when things don’t go the way you want is giving yourself credit when things do go the way you want. It’s patting yourself on the back for a job well done – be it a small success or a major breakthrough. If you mess up, you might spend a week beating yourself up over it. But if you achieve something significant, you might spend an hour, at most, celebrating. Why should you be that hard on yourself? You’ve achieved something today, small or big so take the time to tell yourself “good job to me!”.
The Road to Heaven “Is” Heaven
Happiness is about the here and now. It isn’t the end result. Perhaps you have heard the expression “The road to heaven is heaven.” Well, the happiness you seek in the future must be captured and enjoyed today. Self-empowerment and self-motivation is created when there is a balance between the need to achieve something and acknowledging all that you have already achieved. This acknowledgment of all you have achieved is, as George Leonard suggests, enjoying the plateau.
5 Suggestions to Ponder While Enjoying the Plateau
1) Reflect back on your past accomplishments and intimately reacquaint yourself with them.
2) Commit to spending a few minutes every day enjoying the plateau; and appreciating yourself for all that you are and all that you have achieved.
3) Think about the untapped potential within you and all that you want to achieve.
4) Without seeking an immediate answer, ask yourself: how can I achieve more in the future?
5) Embrace it all. Be happy with the good and the not-so-good. It’s all part of the life experience.
All too often we spend too much time in the past and in the future. We don’t take time in the present to appreciate who we are and all that we have accomplished, small or big. Remember to “sit back every day for a few minutes of enjoying the plateau.”