Why was Caesar so insistent on becoming Consul on that exact year for his first term?

From what I understand Caesar's term as proconsul was about to end, and if he waited another year before trying to get elected he would look forward to a year in which he held no position of power. His proconsulship (if that's a word) had already been extended past its normal time to the annoyance of many senators as well as his enemies. It seems that his reasons were at least two: he was unwilling to lose the momentum he had built up over the years, and he wanted to avoid a situation where he would be vulnerable to his enemies. In the background was of course his thirst for power. Dictatorship for life appears to have been his goal or dream for a long time prior to the crossing of Rubicon.

/r/history Thread