Arrival Syndrome

​When some people reach their goal and “arrive” they tend to fall back and say “I’ve made it!” and then not stay on top of the behaviors that got them there in the first place. Comfy in your corner office you lose sight of the numbers. You abdicate instead of delegate. You skip the gym and have dessert a little more often because you’re at your target weight! You made it. You don’t have to do all that stuff anymore. Or do you? 

I was with a new client the other day and he said something that made me think of this, the Arrival Syndrome.  The client played a sport and was accepted onto a professional team. He told me the story of how he worked his butt off to get to this level and it was really important to him.  He told me of his daily workouts and practice drills that lasted for hours. Yet something happened when he got on the team. And he described it in just one single sentence when he said to me, “I haven’t been training as hard since I made the team though.” He caught it. Arrival Syndrome.  

When you have a goal that seems like a massive personal challenge and you work really hard to get there, once you arrive, you can become a total slacker if you’re not careful. Some people mistake the celebration for a job well done as a sign that the job is done and the work is done. The discipline that they once had to become great is replaced by daily rewards for the accomplishment and self-sacrifice.

But have you really arrived?  Or did you just get to one more step on your personal journey of success? Do you actually have more in you?  Do you have more places to go and more things to do?  This is why I advocate replacing your regular SMART goals with FLOW goals.  You’ll never have to worry about Arrival Syndrome with a FLOW goal. 

Let’s look at what you can do to make sure the arrival bug doesn’t hit you:

✔️Do celebrate 

✔️Do enjoy the journey and the destination 

✔️Always have a FLOW goal that keeps you focused on what else you can become

✔️Don’t become self obsessed with accomplishment just for the sake of it.  Have a purpose or mission

✔️Don’t play the “I’ll be happy when game” either.  Be happy now.  Be happy for no reason at all

Avoid the Arrival Syndrome and continue your self-development!  You’re a living, breathing human being and you were destined to grow!