If you don’t aim for something you can’t reach you will never grow

@ superlogica.com

I hate losing. I guess many would agree with me.

I am a competitive type and I like working on tight schedules, lack of resources and just my team’s enthusiasm to make things happen.

As I wrote about before, my remote team and I were working for getting the prize in the business solution competition, and it was quite an experience where I even had to push myself to the limit and be a designer when I had no idea what to do!

And even though I was not satisfied with the result when I realized we were not going any father with our solution, we managed to get the High-Quality Award and became 7th in the chart. We got into 15% of the best solutions in the championship. I know, it is an achievement but I was hoping for more.

And, honestly, I wanted to see what my team is actually capable of after all. We had put together a proposal for the platform with three developed personas and even some design just in three days! The deadlines were crazy and we were on Skype almost all the time, chatting and calling. The result? We’d done everything on time. But we were not selected for going any father.

Do I feel bad about it? Yes, I do.

And at the same time, I don’t.

Think of a game where you do not meet any resistance. You just move a character or a dot along a straight line with no enemies to destroy or obstacles to overcome. You do not need to jump or collect a loot. Would you be interested in playing that sort of game?

I would obviously not.

Challenges and the desire of getting something you think you can’t are what makes this life interesting. This is what adds up some excitement in the routines we have every day.

What did I learn from reaching for something I cannot actually have?

1. I am brave. Yes, I am not afraid to take risks, make controversial decisions and work hard for something I really want.
2. I become better. Constantly. I know, it may mean nothing, but challenging my strengths and weaknesses makes me better. Every day. Little by little. I am better today than I was tomorrow. That’s an achievement.
3. I am not scared to show up with an idea. It’s really difficult because sometimes you think you say something stupid. But even if… What bad thing could possibly happen after all?
4. I love seeing how much I actually can do. I love pushing myself to the limits and discover the horizons I would never see before. If I had not dared to take one risk, I would have never seen what I (or my team is) am capable of.
5. You lose only if you acknowledge that. Nobody can make you loser unless you let yourself be the one. And that’s the simple, but the inspiring truth for many aspects of life.

I love challenges, and I love facing challenges and collaborate with people when we have a tangible goal. It makes me alive.

Well, when was the last time you tried to reach something you knew for sure you would not get?