Focus On The Journey

This article was originally published in December 2016.

We always have a goal in mind. Whether it’s an academic goal, a career goal, a fitness goal, or whatever. We are all trying to get to the next level in whatever we do.

But I think we are too often focused on achieving the goal that we forget to focus on the journey of actually getting there.

I know it sounds cliché, but you really do have to focus on the process of getting there.

We spend 99.9% of our time on the journey, the process, working towards the goal, but only a small amount of time actually achieving it.

I just think that you have to be happy with what you are doing. I’ve said it countless times in my writing, you have to be happy as much as you can because you are never getting this time back.

Sure, achieving a goal is amazing. It’s the best feeling in the world. But is it worth achieving a goal if you are unhappy during the process?

I just don’t think it makes sense to do something that you hate just for a brief moment of fulfillment after accomplishing it.

And at that, I think there are too many things that one can accomplish in life. A lot of the goals that we have can be achieved by doing different things. The are endless avenues to the same destination.

For example, running doesn’t have to be the only way to get in the best shape of your life. You can try swimming or rowing or playing basketball with friends.

The job that you have now isn’t the only way to make money. There are tons of jobs out there that can help you earn an income that you’ll actually enjoy and look forward to going to.

The people that you spend your time with now aren’t the only people on this Earth. There are so many great people that you can meet, you just have put yourself out there.

For me, it all comes back to time. Time is the most important thing one can have. If you are spending it doing something you hate, you are just wasting time.

Time is the only thing you can never get back. If you were to go bankrupt, you can make that money back; if you were to put on a few extra pounds, you can get back in shape; if you were to lose friends, you can make new ones. But if you lose time, that time is gone. It is never coming back.

You have to spend every second of your life doing what you love or it’s time wasted. That’s why I say focus on the journey. Do the things that you love now rather than focusing on that feeling that you may get if you achieve the goal.

There are unlimited possibilities as to how a goal can be reached. You just have to find the option that makes you happy.