“The journey is the reward.” — Chinese Proverb
You naturally place importance on the outcome when you set goals. You will find ways to achieve your goal if you focus on the desired achievement. But, the value that you get from achieving your goal is more than the satisfaction of achieving it.
You will be a different person once you have achieved a significant goal. You will be changed by the journey to achieving your goal, and the experiences you gain. The journey is the reward.
If you have a goal to lose forty pounds, and you achieve it, you will be able to gain more than just looking good and getting lots of interest from the other sex.
You must live a disciplined, focused lifestyle in order to lose weight. It was important to be in control of your eating habits and not fall prey to old eating habits. It was important to exercise regularly and efficiently in order to make real gains at the gym.
You can have a great body, but it’s not something you do. It is a lifestyle that you live. This lifestyle is key to achieving your goals.
How many people are willing to make the sacrifices and work hard to lose weight? It is not nearly as many people as those who set the goal. These steps change the mind as well as the body.
It is more than the physical change you see in your body. It’s the journey that has taught you discipline and willpower.
The same goes for the goal to quit your job and start your own business. It is something that everyone dreams of, but very few actually achieve it. Success is more than just being your boss or earning a higher income.
They have been changed by the long hours they worked, the risk they took with their money, and the uncertainty about whether it would work.
My online business took me four years to build up enough income to pay the bills. It is not the money that is important, it is the freedom and time I have. If these things were handed to me without my effort or sacrifice, I wouldn’t be able to appreciate them the same.
I would have remained the same person that I was.
The freedom and time it offers are undoubtedly great. When I look back at the whole process, I realize that the changes I made as a person have been more beneficial in the long-term. I had big dreams, spent many hours and was terrified that all of it would be wasted. I kept going, put my foot forward, and I finally reached my goal.
The journey helped me to internalize the success process. That was the greatest reward. To be able to know that I can achieve a goal by following the correct path and taking small, gradual steps. To believe that, little by little, I am progressing, even though it may not seem so. I know that I can achieve my goal if I stick with the task.
You are more likely to reach your future goals if you become the person you were when you achieved a significant goal.
This is why people who excel in one area often succeed in another. It’s no surprise that high-performing business executives and managers are also very fit.
It does not seem to be connected at first glance. Each requires consistent, long-term action.
Personal development is about more than having stuff. It is not about having a healthy body, a happy partner, or a passive income. These things are not indicators of what you will do on your journey.
A compatible partner means that you are open to learning and have learned to love and give back. You have learned to give value to others and have chosen to be open to new possibilities over safety. Lean body is a sign that your body is healthy and you are able to exercise effectively.
You are more satisfied with the changes you make in yourself than the stuff you get.
It is more effective to set goals with the intention of developing yourself than for a symbol of success. The physical symbol may be necessary to motivate you and measure your progress but it is the journey that will change you and that is the reward.
Even if you don’t achieve your physical goal, maybe because you changed your mind or changed your course, you will have made a positive change in yourself and that is also the reward.
Growth does not require the physical manifestations of success. They are just reflections of that growth along with intangible reflections like peace and fulfillment.
The idea that the journey is more important then the destination is a popular sentiment. It took me some time to realize that this was true, and then really absorb it.
It’s easy to just read stories and proverbs that are full of wisdom. But, you don’t really get it. It is not enough to have a theoretical appreciation for wisdom. Wisdom must be internalized in order to become part of your life.
How do you internalize it? Experiences are all you need. You simply have experiences.
You will find the greatest rewards if you pursue experiences, not things.