You finally got out for that run. You finished the proposal. You convince someone to change. You achieved agreement. You submitted the screenplay, the book, the job application, the podcast. You pushed through the resistance and you did accomplished what you were working towards and were fearing. Well done. Take a moment to congratulate yourself and your team; be proud. Now do it again.

This may appear to be harsh; it is not meant to be. I’ll try to explain.

Accomplishing the launch of something is hard work, nerve wracking, and can be full of fear. This is normal, natural; we should expect it. Our brains are hard wired to be on high alert when we encounter or do something new – this is a protection mechanism; useful at times. So when we push through this resistance and launch or finish a job, this is an accomplishment for us and worthy of celebrating.

Yet, the launch is only the beginning, the hard work on doing it again and again and again has yet to come. It is easy to fall prey to the inevitable lull that comes after the launch is done; to the voice that says ‘well done, you’ve done that now; take a break, celebrate’ or the voice that says ‘well done, that’s done, no need to do that again’. This type of resistance is much more sneaky than when we fail because when we fail, we expect it, when we succeed, when tend not to.

So I am asking myself today, “well done for getting out for a run or launching the podcast, are you going to be a professional and do it again or stay amateur and do it when you feel like?”.

Harsh? Maybe. But I also know I often need a nudge.