Take a Moment to Take It In - Seven Jacobs
London city leader Seven Jacobs reflects on the value of taking a moment to assess what truly matters in the wake of last week’s successful city competition.
Seven greets the winner of October’s Founders Live London
Thoughts for founders - Seven Jacobs
Seven here! We had our last Founders Live London last week and it was incredible! As well as lots of other events and conversations with founders, there's a lot I'll be sharing in the next couple of weeks on LinkedIn so if you haven't already, follow me here.
And all of this has got me thinking about "anticlimactic endings" and the goals entrepreneurs and leaders strive to achieve.
(For those that are new here, I email once a fortnight with some opportunities, news, and thoughts/reflections/learnings for entrepreneurs.)
We set big milestones and goals, and when they're achieved, it's not uncommon to have an underlying sense of "Oh, it's over now?"
Naturally, we still need to set goals to achieve, dates to deliver or launch something, events that take place, etc. And of course, big achievements like selling a business for multiple millions.
However, even in this, people will often (sooner or later) report feeling low once complete.
I'd like to propose that this is because we set an expectation.
Happiness and satisfaction exist in the moment. So when we put anticipation into achieving a goal, and it gets done, if life hasn't radically and suddenly changed, the difference between what we thought that achievement might feel like and how you actually feel - probably the same way you did the day before - sets in.
Even the co-founder of Spotify recently mentioned this - after a couple of months of enjoying his first success, he realised a bit of an emptiness set in.
So, when I realised I had lots of events that with months in the making ending, and I felt great and ready for more, and enjoying the present moment, I realised I had done something right. And I wish it for you too!
But if you're ever not, perhaps take a step back and evaluate what truly matters most to you. I wonder what will come up?
To your success!
Seven