Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.

John Wooden

Not a week goes by I do not sit face to face with someone expressing a sense of “overwhelm”.

“Just tell me what to do”.

I get it.

Neurologic recovery can be overwhelming.

Often the “overwhelm” can be managed by establishing a goal that is realistic, measurable, and meaningful.  But in some cases, it doesn’t resolve the chaos in the mind.

I have found myself sitting face to face with the same “overwhelmed” person 3, 5, or 7 months later with the same “problem”……..Overwhelm…..

Did I, the therapist, “fail”? Did the patient “fail” to execute my thoughtful plan?

Possibly.

But what if no one “failed”? What if it was the perfect plan executed perfectly?

This is also a possibility. And this week I spent some time entertaining the idea that “success” (or lack thereof) might not be the result of a poorly designed or executed plan.

Maybe the “success” we think we want is merely a distraction from the true meaning of success….peace of mind.

And maybe the “overwhelm” has nothing do to with task overload. Instead, maybe the mental chaos is a sort of a discontentment yet to be precisely identified.

And if that is the case, maybe the goal we are chasing will never truly fulfill the thing we are seeking.

Goals in life are important. They give our life meaning and direction and purpose and temporary satisfaction. That is….. until we rightfully establish the next goal.

Do you often feel overwhelmed? Are you executing your plan perfectly and still feel unfilled?

Maybe you lack patience. Maybe you lack the discipline to eliminate “shiny objects” (aka: the next “noval treaments”, new exercise, better therapist…ect).

Or

Maybe you lack “self-satisfaction”. Self-satisfaction is knowing that you are doing the best you can and that you have the tools within yourself to achieve the goal you are trying to achieve.

Without this, nothing can tame the chaos in the mind. The “overwhelm” will win and you will in turn ultimately succumb to “paralysis by analysis”.

The “perfect” pill won’t fix it.

The “perfect” plan won’t fix it.

The “perfect” therapist won’t fix it.

Maybe you aren’t where you want to be. Great! This can be the motivation to get started on a path toward a goal. But first…..

Precisely identify what you are chasing. What would success look like? What are you hoping to gain at the end of the journey?

If it is some sort of self-defined sense of “peace”, I argue you will never be truly satisfied.

On the other hand, “success” is available to you right now. “Success” is a sense of satisfaction at the end of each day knowing that you did all you could in this moment to become the best version of yourself.

In my experience, that is actual success. Those that have it, can get through even the most difficult challenges.

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.

John Wooden