Relative disappointment
Disappointing, to say the least. But, uh, sometimes life is just filled with disappointment. What can you do?
— Andy Glaze1, on missing his goal of completing the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon under 100 hours. He completed the 250 mile run after enduring hypothermia, hallucinations, falls, getting poked by cacti, and poor air conditions over the span of five days running nearly nonstop.
What struck me the most is that Andy wasn’t so much disappointed by the challenges he encountered. He appears almost nonplussed describing each individual hurdle after having surpassed it. Any regular person would be extremely proud claiming a fraction of an equivalent accomplishment. Yet he feels let down! Such a fascinatingly extreme example of how we acclimate to accomplishment. Andy will be running the Cocodona 250 a 5th time but not before running another even longer ultramarathon first this year.
One of the best things you can do for your goals is to get used each step along the way. Get used to it, then reach for the next.