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4 min read Careers

Finish lines

The mind imperceptibly places finish lines everywhere… and if we want peace, we have to be wise to it. 🏁

Finish lines
Photo by Anton Shuvalov / Unsplash

Yesterday, I spoke about an actual, real-life finish line.

So today, let’s talk about imaginary finish lines, shall we?

🏁

Years and years ago, when I left Medicine, I spotted that the imaginary finish line I’d been aiming for—becoming a consultant surgeon; having a private practice; making lots of money—wasn’t really a finish line at all.

You see, studying and practicing surgery was bloody hard work, and one of the things that kept me going, with all the book-bashing, the exams, the tedious academic journal submissions and the various jumping-through-hoops I had to do, was this notion that:

One Day Things Will Be OK.

The Mr-Croft-Ego-Construct 📦 (for I was far enough into surgery to have dropped the ‘Dr’ and re-become a ‘Mr’ by then) honestly believed that when the Consultant-hood finish line was crossed, I’d be happy.

It seemed like a no-brainer. I mean, why the hell else was I putting myself through these horrors (no social life, very few weekends off, evenings of study) if not to reach some sort of goal, where it would all be worth it?

🏁 😎

Evidence to the contrary