LULL AFTER THE STORM
1. The famous idiom which we have got used to and brace for quite often is, ‘lull before the storm’ but the one which is holding true for last six days is ‘lull after the storm’. After committing all energies and efforts for last seventeen months a sense of relief washed over me, the work was over and one could finally relax but it has just been five days and the sense of relief turned into uneasiness. After years of preparation, planning and working on it, one felt a rush of satisfaction when I walked out of the portals of the HQ and looked at all the blank space in my once-packed schedule, I thought, “Now what?” I don’t feel relaxed and free; I feel lost and unaccomplished, despite seeing the fruits of my labor right in front of me. This, however I have now found out, is pretty normal (thank God for small mercies).
2. Some people experience a lackluster feeling of emptiness after accomplishing a major goal. Author Kelsey Ramsden calls this unpleasant lack of fulfillment after reaching your milestone a “success hangover” but I would rather call it ‘mission vacuum’ it’s not all bad and hopefully a temporary malady. Ramsden argues that ambitious people often prefer the race over the finish line and feel most fulfilled when they’re busy and challenged. Without a clear goal to work toward, day-to-day life is completely upended; there’s a void — especially if that goal was something you worked on for years and years and after that the organization has been kind enough to grant you leave and that too of 35 days a phenomenon one last experienced in 2010 from the icy heights of Ladakh. The better half is already calling it pre-course for post-retirement life and the kids are looking for work to be shoveled my way so that I can stay out of their hair.
3. Downtime is a shock to Mule GS (what my wife understands of my capabilities), I’ve spent a lot of time and energy on the goal and don’t know what to do next. People like me are at their best when they’re focused on something, so they feel lost without that structure. The irony here is that downtime might be exactly what I need but don’t know how. That final few weeks of the tour of duty you had been pushing to the finish line were grueling, the tank was empty and the engine was running on fumes, classic symptoms of a flame out. But the idea of some R&R can make people feel guilty or bad about themselves. A clear to-do list isn’t the only reason I might feel let down. Maybe reaching the goal doesn’t prove to be all that magical; mix that feeling with burnout and exhaustion, and it’s easy to see why I would feel drained, rather than elated, after earning that gold star. Whether it’s exhaustion or emptiness (or a bit of both), pinpointing why you feel lackluster after reaching a goal is the first step in figuring out how to manage it. From there, a few things that can help you overcome the slump and get back to a place where you feel excited about your work and proud of your accomplishments. This a 101 for all friends who are experiencing this are going to soon experience this phenomenon.
4. Enjoy the Flat Line. Professionals are very uncomfortable with living in a plateau state — they like to ascend. Spending time at a career flat line (even if it makes you feel all crazy and snappy!), it allows you to regroup, recharge, and figure out what you want to work on next. It takes a lot out of you to work toward a big goal. A break is beneficial to recovering and getting ready for what comes next. Without one, you risk burning out.
5. Experiment. Once you’ve taken the break you need, try exploring new possibilities that are slightly outside of your comfort zone. Research, from Yale study suggests that doing the same old thing keeps us from learning and reduces brain activity. Introducing a bit of uncertainty and novelty into your routine can change that. Look at is as Blind Date, it needs to be overtly ‘agenda based’; think mischief more than mastery. We are all at that cusp of our careers where profession of arms ceases to be a science and starts to become more artistic and philosophical. Experiments fire up the imagination, they spark whimsy. Since art is about the play of ideas, they feed our creative work by replenishing our inner well of images and inspiration. When choosing an Experiment, it is good to ask yourself, ‘what sounds fun?’ — and then allow yourself to try it.” People of our ilk also have a tendency to work a lot, and workaholism can steal from creativity. We become so preoccupied with how good it feels to get things done that we stop doing things that make you feel creative and fulfilled because those things don’t feel immediately productive. When you know what makes you happy every day, you can plan your goals accordingly. That way, you place less emphasis on reaching an abstract finish line, and instead find fulfillment every step of the way. Achievements are the building blocks that enable someone to construct a sense of themselves as a success. The achievements that matter most combine to form a version of success that has meaning and substance for the individual. Achievements also provide tangible evidence that colleagues, competitors and the wider world use to judge a person as more or less successful but it is as important to feel the self-worth of having done what you have done and with joy of having done it.
