Letter #18: Look at this table — it blew my mind
What do you think it is?
This week was pretty cool. I was taking my usual lunchtime stroll. I walked to Bourke Street — arguably the heart of the Melbourne CBD and saw a big crowd.
“Hmm, was it another flashmob?” I thought to myself.
As I got closer, I saw some flags lying around — flags bearing the Australian colours and our green and gold. Someone was talking on a microphone on the stage about 30 meters away from me.
There were police and security guards standing on the inside of barricades. I got to the edge of one of the barricades and listened to the person talking.
“Yeah, it was amazing. At home, Mum was talking about how awesome Sam Stosur was and the next thing I knew, I was asking her for advice on how to handle all the attention.”
Getting a closer look at the signs around the area, I finally realised that it was an event that had been organised by our state government to welcome home our athletes from Rio.
After the formalities had finished, the athletes walked down from the stage started signing autographs and taking selfies with the crowd.
I was torn; the athletes were probably dead tired from the public obligations, but at the same time, this was the first time that I’d be so close to an Olympian.
I couldn’t help myself. Have a look at these:
I’m embarrassed to admit that I had to hurry back to my office and check who these Olympians were, but it was inspiring to get a photo with a couple of people who had worked their asses off to get to the Games and bring back some medals.
I really like watching the Games. I’ve already seen the preview of the Tokyo 2020 games and I’m absolutely pumped. I’m determined to be there in four years time. I’ve never been to Japan, I know Charlotte wants to go to and Evie would have a blast.
In the last four years, I’ve gotten married, had a kid, graduated from a Masters Degree and been working a stable job. I’m not sure what the next four years holds in store for me.
4 years ago, I would have thought that four years seems like a long time. If I hadn’t achieved some goals I had set for myself, I would consider myself a failure. Guess what? It’s four years later and I still haven’t achieved them.
It’s been tiring, really. Going through these vicious cycles and ending up at the same place. Slowly — ever so slowly — I’m starting to realise that it isn’t a broken strategy, poor idea or bad work ethic.
It’s simply impatience. I’ve always given myself months to a year to achieve a certain goal. It’s laughable really to even think that it’s possible to succeed in such a short time… because it is a short time. That’s the epiphany that’s taken me years to grasp.
I don’t deserve fast success. People who seek fast success don’t understand the laws or mechanics of success. With the right strategy and direction, you will succeed… slowly at first, but time through its slow plodding ways, will multiply your success.
So what about that table up top, Johnson?
I almost forgot. That table is the years the Olympics will occur on and my age on those years. Writing it up absolutely blew my mind because it made four years feel so damn small.
That first row, 2020. That’s four years, right there. I’ll be 31. In the not-too-distant past, I would have figuratively murdered myself if I wasn’t successful by the time I was 30.
4 years is utterly insignificant in the scheme of things. Look at the table. I highlighted the first 10 in yellow because in those 10 blocks, 40 years will have passed. I’ll be 67. That’s older than my parents are now.
I haven’t even begun to comprehend that. I’m stuck trying to smash my goals within a year (well, I was). Maybe it’s a millennial thing. Maybe I’m just impatient. Whatever it is, this table is fixing me.
I highlighted the first 10 blocks because those are the 10 that I would intend to live and see. Maybe even go to. Anything after that is a bonus (I’ve always been a conservative thinker).
The vice grip of needing to succeed in a certain time is slowly releasing its grip. There are some days when I drop my guard that it grabs me from behind. Its cold, metallic fingers close around my throat, its palm crushing into my vertebrae in my neck.
But this innocent, undiscerning table reveals the truth: that my mind is yet to evolve to a point of stability that is able to deal with mature, honest success.
Everything you’re doing now, every goal you’re trying to achieve probably fits into that first box too. Maybe it’s not. Maybe you’ve got 10 year goal that expands across two to three boxes.
If so, good on you. I’m trying to be the same as you.
Please give a warm welcome to:
Are you giving yourself the time required to succeed? Is it at least four years long? Have you achieved success and how long did it take you?
Share your comments below! Until next time,
-J.
