Accomplishments
Does anyone else feel like we are always striving toward goals, yet when we finally reach them, they fade so quickly? We barely have time to enjoy the sense of accomplishment before we’re already chasing the next milestone to feed that part of us. What is it within us that struggles to stay grateful in those moments, and how can something as simple as riding bikes ground us and pull us away from this constant need to be better?
There seems to be a theme emerging in these journal posts that they’re more about self-reflection than anything else, but maybe some of it resonates with you, the reader, and serves a purpose in its own way. I’ve always had a strong drive to accomplish things in my life, which I think is a good thing, although it has often been quite self-centred. Growing up riding BMX, I was constantly chasing new tricks and trying to improve on what I could already do. But the other day I was listening to something that made me question how much of that drive was actually fuelled by dissatisfaction, and a need to keep chasing the next fix or high.
These days, I try to be really mindful of how excited I feel when I reach a goal, mainly so I can notice how quickly that excitement fades and I’m left searching for something else to work toward. On one hand, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to keep pushing forward, but how often do we abandon the thing we’ve just achieved without truly recognising it? The danger in this is burnout, a point where each new sense of accomplishment becomes so short-lived that you start to lose the drive or motivation to reach for the next one. How do we keep moving forward while slowing down enough to actually enjoy the milestones along the way?
I think what we really need in life are things that bring us joy without requiring any sort of marker or goal to feel complete, something we do purely for the love of it. Something that keeps us grounded while also filling our cup. For me, and probably for a lot of you reading this, that thing is riding bikes. There’s no finish line, no set circumstances that need to be in place. You can simply get on, start pedalling, and before you know it, find yourself at complete peace.
Having goals and things to strive for is essential in life; they give us purpose, a word that has been coming up a lot for me in recent years. What I’ve come to realise is that purpose becomes far more powerful when it’s in the service of something bigger than yourself. Purpose rooted in something or someone else is deeper, more fulfilling, and far less likely to fade.
These days, the accomplishments I set for myself are often in service to something bigger than me. Whether that’s my family or, in Rune’s case, the brand itself, my goals are less about me and more about the impact we create. How can my actions, and what we put out there through Rune, inspire others to seek their own form of self-expression, the kind that enriches their lives and those around them? That is my purpose. Oh, and to make really freaking cool bikes, of course.