Okay, you have had a major goal, perhaps planning a wedding, or a major career goal, or buying a house, and you just achieved it! Congratulations! After the celebration, there is often a sense of “What’s next?”, a sense of letdown. The question of what comes after success?

This can be a significant challenge for many people. If you are an athlete, and you finally conquered that time, that win, that challenge, that you have been focusing for and putting all of your time and energy in, then what’s next?

You have had career goals that you have striven for, that job, that income, that title, and you have finally made it, then what’s next?

You had an image in your head of being married, children house, you have them all, now, what’s next?

Often, the first thing that happens after the celebration of success is a letdown. All of the excitement is gone. There feels to be no goals. There is no focus. Now what? People can get depressed. Life can actually feel meaningless without the focus. Acknowledge that what you are feeling is normal; it does not mean that you are doing anything wrong. Many people talk about how after they have achieved their goal that they actually enter into a slight depression. If it goes on for more than a couple of weeks, please reach out for professional help.

After you have achieved that goal, there are some important things to do. First, give yourself some well-deserved rest. You have been very focused for quite possibly a very long time. It is more than okay to take time to recover. Make a plan of what that recovery looks like, making sure that good healthy sleep and good healthy food are part of that recovery! If you have not seen friends because of the goal that you just met, reconnect! That can also help to elevate your energy and mood again!

Okay, you have rested and recovered, your mood is coming back up, now what?! Oh, that is easy, set a new goal! And, as always, enjoy the journey!