Dr Katzenstein continues:
“One of the biggest impediments to peace of mind and overall stability in life is what we call the ‘rat race,’ a term used to describe the never-ending cycle of work, stress and competition that we often find ourselves caught up in, due to the constant pressure to achieve success, accumulate wealth or climb the corporate ladder. As we may be well aware, this can lead to burn out, anxiety and ultimately, a lack of fulfillment.
So how do we avoid the rat race? One of the first things we need to do is define our version of success. Too often, we live by a concept of success based on the way other people/society/ our culture/our community define success.
We need to define our version of success, rather than just accept society's definition of success, which, more often than not, revolves around material possessions and external accomplishments.
Take some time to think about what success mean to you. Does it involve spending more time with family and loved ones, pursuing hobbies? Is it making a positive impact and contributing to the world?
Once you have a clear version of what success means to you, you can focus on pursuing that version, your version of success, rather than be caught up in the rat race.
Lastly, focus on the journey, not just the destination. I often tell my clients that there are two ways to reach the top of Mount Everest. One is to climb, and the other is to just get dropped off by a helicopter (assuming a helicopter can get up that high). Obviously, it's not just about the destination, because nobody who has taken a helicopter ride to the top of Mount Everest would dare say that they've climbed Mount Everest.
Focusing on the journey is incredibly important. When we get involved in the rat race and focus on external accomplishments, we don't pay attention to, or enjoy the journey.
When we are able to focus on, and enjoy the process of pursuing our goals, and not just the achievement of those goals, it can be incredibly helpful.
One of the ways that motivation works is by celebrating small victories. It's not just finishing the marathon that motivates us, because we only get to the finish line once. It's celebrating the small, incremental victories along the way that actually gives us time to appreciate the progress that we've made.”