Moving

“If what you did five years ago still excites you, you’re not growing.” -John Maxwell

Five years ago, I had just been promoted to Senior Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, a rank achieved by only 2% of those who serve. It felt like a major success.

During my first feedback session, my supervisor, a Chief Master Sergeant, the highest enlisted rank in the Air Force, shared something that has stayed with me ever since:

“You have not arrived. I have not arrived.”

My promotion wasn’t the finish line. It was a new opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute at a higher level.

What keeps me growing isn’t what I accomplished five years ago. It’s what I’m learning right now. The skills I’m developing. The person I’m becoming.

We love finish lines. They represent achievement, accomplishment, and success.

But John Maxwell challenges that thinking.

“If you have a finish line, what happens when you cross it? You’re finished. And what part of being finished is supposed to excite us?”

Growth was never meant to have a destination. It has a direction. Growth requires learning. Growth requires stretching.

The question isn’t:

“Have I arrived?”

The question is:

“Am I still moving?”