Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with achievement

Taekwondo black belt celebration

Balonious Assault — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:44:38 -0800

A coworker is testing for her black belt in taekwondo this weekend, and I'm looking for ideas of how we can celebrate her achievement at the office. Earning a black belt seems like a very significant accomplishment. Assuming she will get it, we'd like to do something at the office to congratulate her. Gift suggestions, or anything else that would be appropriate for the occasion would be greatly appreciated. It's a pretty laid-back office, so decorum isn't really a huge concern. We'd just like to come up with something better than the standard cake-and-a-card office celebration. Thanks!

I'm the best at being unexceptional

arniec — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 08:08:02 -0800

How do you deal with/accept that you are merely mediocre? I am about to turn 35 and I am facing a hard realization: I've peaked and not that great. In my late 20s and early 30s My job was growing and the world seemed at my feet.

But I've now plateued and my attempts to grow further creatively or professionally seem to fail. Even when I have a success it's a mitigated success. I'm constantly second or third best and I am obsessed that i'm not THE best and it devistates me and i'm unable to just be happy that I'm better than some others.

Given that very few people are the best at anything I am having to come to terms that I am an average human and nothing makes me remarkable. But that honesty the depressed me.

So I'm wondering how people deal with merely being average.

EYE OF THE TIGER

fire&wings — Sun, 03 May 2009 17:40:44 -0800

What are some of the most stirring and melodramatic sports compilation videos on Youtube? For example Rivaldo's hattrick against Valencia or Lance Armstrong climbing Luz Ardiden. Any sport. It can be one game, match, event, or an overview of an entire career. The more music from the score of Gladiator utilised, and the more emotional the commentary, the better.

Never say retire.

StrikeTheViol — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:59:54 -0800

Who are the oldest working professional people? After reading about Manoel de Oliveira, who appears to be the oldest working filmmaker, I wondered about the oldest working people in other fields, for instance, the oldest professor still writing papers, or the oldest lawyer still trying cases in court... all other professions or occupations welcome. The only other example I've found that placed especial emphasis on the working was a Pravda profile of the artist Moisei Feigin.

What's a good way of dealing with long-term goals?

gregb1007 — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 17:57:36 -0800

What's a good way of dealing with long-term goals? I ask the question about how to deal with long-term goals because it's a tricky issue. If you are investing yourself into accomplishing something that will take quite a bit of time, it's very easy to feel discouraged because it seems like you are putting in a lot of energy into doing something that will bring you benefits at a later point in time. It feels like cooking a meal that you won't get to eat until days later. What's a good way of working towards long-term goals without feeling frustrated and believing yourself to be wasting your time because the fruit of your efforts is so far away.

Give me hope, give me some 'late achiever' stories!

razzman — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 13:38:00 -0800

I'm almost 31 and though I have had some achievements in life they're not spectacular. Most of the time when I see a biog in the paper the 'achiever' was already doing well from a very early age. To give me hope that achieving at this stage in life is possible I would like to hear of people who went on to make great achievements relatively late in their life (ie 30+) with not much happening before then. These can be anybody, famous or people you know, in any field, both creative and career wise. I haven't defined great achievement but I mean something rather outstanding (unusual I suppose) rather than 'passed my driving test' or 'got married'.