I'm just finishing up the phenomenal book, Undaunted Courage, about the adventurer Meriwhether Lewis who led the expedition to open the American West after Thomas Jefferson purchased the territory of Louisiana.

Jefferson specifically chose Lewis to lead the Corp of Discovery because of his woodsmen abilities and his willingness and capacity to learn about the different areas of science he would have to investigate: botany, zoology, geography and the like.

Knowing how important the expedition was to Jefferson, Lewis was strict in his discipline of the men, detailed in the journaling of his discoveries, and adamant about being a good leader throughout the journey.

He accomplished all of his goals and then some...he was a man on a mission and he did it with purpose and passion.

It's a wonder, then, that, once Lewis returned from the expedition, he became a drunk, was disrespected in many corners, and was totally unreliable in carrying out his duties as governor of the Louisiana territory.

Now, how does someone who accomplished such a gigantic feat in extraordinary fashion drop to such low levels so quickly?

Well, just ask the Olympic athletes, astronauts, and other achievers of great things that end up in the same situation...

They'll tell you that they felt like their life had no purpose after accomplishing what they thought was their ultimate goal in life...

To win a gold metal, to go to the moon, or, in Lewis's case, to be the leader of an adventure so great that history will remember it forever.

In other words, they never looked past that huge accomplished and envisioned the next mountain for them to climb.

ACTION:

If you find yourself disgruntled with life because you feel like you've accomplished everything you can, take a peak over the mountain and see what you can find...I imagine there's another challenge staring you right in the face.

Until next time, here's to your 1% growth everyday...

Jerry