The Good Stuff
by Craig Berger
How many times have you had a goal in mind but were discouraged or pushed away by some of the risks or uncomfortable tasks you'd need to confront in pursuit of that goal?
A post I read this weekend made a point of how often many of us concentrate on "the good parts" of the dreams and accomplishments we pursue while fearing, regretting, or simply turning away from their less attractive, more threatening components.
The author produced three examples in his post:
1.) "I want to be an actress, but I don't want to go on auditions..."
2.) "I want to play varsity sports, but I need to be sure I'm going to make the team."
3.) "It's important to sell this great new service, but I'm not willing to deal with rejection."
This framework formed much of the rationalization for my procrastination habits in college: "It's important for me to finish my homework at a reasonable time, but I don't want to miss out on something fun happening with my friends." I wanted to feel on top of my academics. I also wanted professors to read my work and be impressed by my thoughts and my writing. I wanted to do exceptionally well. But because I was afraid of fully investing my energy in pursuit of that, and knowing that it was possible that other people were having fun and I wasn't a part of it, I lowered my standards and expectations. A B was okay; after all, if I had actually tried, I know I could have gotten the A.
The larger point this author makes is that if we took the element of risk away--if the good stuff was guaranteed to us--it would diminish our achievements. Being on the wrong side of the risks from time to time reminds us that we are engaged in reality, not a Utopian fantasy, and that the work we do is valuable and not just passing time.
How about you? What are some of your largest goals or important pursuits in your life? What are the risks associated with chasing them?
Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.
How many times have you had a goal in mind but were discouraged or pushed away by some of the risks or uncomfortable tasks you'd need to confront in pursuit of that goal?
A post I read this weekend made a point of how often many of us concentrate on "the good parts" of the dreams and accomplishments we pursue while fearing, regretting, or simply turning away from their less attractive, more threatening components.
The author produced three examples in his post:
1.) "I want to be an actress, but I don't want to go on auditions..."
2.) "I want to play varsity sports, but I need to be sure I'm going to make the team."
3.) "It's important to sell this great new service, but I'm not willing to deal with rejection."
This framework formed much of the rationalization for my procrastination habits in college: "It's important for me to finish my homework at a reasonable time, but I don't want to miss out on something fun happening with my friends." I wanted to feel on top of my academics. I also wanted professors to read my work and be impressed by my thoughts and my writing. I wanted to do exceptionally well. But because I was afraid of fully investing my energy in pursuit of that, and knowing that it was possible that other people were having fun and I wasn't a part of it, I lowered my standards and expectations. A B was okay; after all, if I had actually tried, I know I could have gotten the A.
The larger point this author makes is that if we took the element of risk away--if the good stuff was guaranteed to us--it would diminish our achievements. Being on the wrong side of the risks from time to time reminds us that we are engaged in reality, not a Utopian fantasy, and that the work we do is valuable and not just passing time.
How about you? What are some of your largest goals or important pursuits in your life? What are the risks associated with chasing them?
Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.
Posted: March 31, 2013, 7:47 PM