What Is Achievement?

WHAT IS ACHIEVEMENT?

I recently attended my year 9 graduation as an AIS (Australian International School - Dubai) student. All around it was a fantastic night; all of us received our graduation certificates, performed for our parents, and also had to endure a grueling speech by Miss Anne-Marie.

Everything was perfect; everyone did exactly as how it was planned in the rehearsals. I’m sure that like me, we all felt a certain mix of anxiety and anticipation for when we would walk up on the stage and receive our certificate. We moved from Abdulla all the way until Val. All of us, standing straight, lined up nicely facing the audience. Then, those special few who were selected to receive the outstanding awards were called to the front to accept them. I could see the joy, pride and sense of achievement in each and every one of them.

A thought, well actually a question, came into my mind. What is achievement? Is achievement something you have to be awarded to by an official? Is it something that has to be prestigious? For some people, it could be that achievement is something that is awarded to you and is publicized. To others it could be a very quiet subject.

Well, this is my view on the matter. Achievement is something that you accomplish. It could be a big goal or a small goal. For example, say you have your sights set on the top prize in writing and you win it, for you that would be an achievement, but achievement can also be just winning the soccer match. Also, achievement often goes hand-in-hand with feelings of pride, joy and relief, the same feelings I saw in the students who won the awards.

I’ve won my share of awards in the past. Grades 4 and 5 I won the academic medals for my year and in Grade 6 I was graduated as the top student. My feeling was actually just anxiety. When I had to walk up onto the stage, shake the hand and receive the award, I felt nauseous. What made it worse was the speech and description of what the award was about. I was half-embarrassed, standing up there with full uniform, holding my award tightly. I just wished I could’ve still won it, but be sitting down with my friends at the same time.

Another question came to mind. Does the level of achievement depend on who you are, what you do and what your goals are? In my opinion, yes it does. If you are, say a hard worker and struggling to make ends meet. You get up early in the morning and sit in your office all day until the late afternoon. Maybe your goal is to just get through the week without any trouble and problems. If you’re a professional basketball player, your goal would be to win the playoffs. The level of achievement differs and has many variables.

Now, I will reveal to you my method of how you can achieve anything you want in six simple steps.

Step 1: Have a goal. You can’t achieve something without knowing what you want to achieve.
Step 2: Understand what it is you are trying to achieve. If you don’t understand what you have to do in order to reach your goal, the path to achievement will be longer and harder.
Step 3: Once you know what to do, actually put in the effort and do the work. Like the saying “He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.” Friedrich Nietzche
Step 4: If you face some hardships along the way, it is normal. Don’t give up on yourself and all the work you have done. Get back on your feet and continue.
Step 5: By now, you should be cruising. You should know what to do, and if you haven’t already achieved what you wanted to achieve, you’re close.
Step 6: Set your sights on a higher goal this time but do not get complacent in your efforts.

Achievement…it’s all up to you. You are in control of what you want and how you are going to get what you want. No one can tell you otherwise.

Written by,

A lexxx [and] er
June 14, 2009.