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The problem with setting the bar high is that sometimes you actually achieve whatever it is that you've spent the past god-knows-how-long working towards.
Take the world championship as an example. Earning a Formula One title requires a minimum of a decade's all-consuming dedication, even if you are a Jacques Villeneuve, who came close in his first season and then sealed it 12 months later. You go through karts, progress through various junior formulae, hunt for money (which can be a full-time occupation in itself), build contacts, play the politics, land a test, and then eventually, if you are lucky, someone offers you a seat. Then, the really hard work starts.
So for those who do manage to become champions the sense of relief, of achievement, of having joined an exclusive club within an exclusive club, of having years of work and ambition distilled down into a single shining moment, must be indescribable. But once it has worn off, what do you do next? When you are at the top, is there any direction you can go other than down?
