Ever heard the phrase ‘The Journey Is More Important than the Destination’? This holds good for travel in a literal sense. However, in business, this statement takes a significant metaphorical meaning. This philosophy is especially useful when it comes to goal setting.
Typically, we all tend to set goals as if they are specific destinations. Once we do that, we focus all our energy on getting there within a certain time period. As focused as this sounds, we should always question the way we perceive our plans.
The Mindset
By changing our focus from the goal to the process, we can embrace the journey and give it more importance than the destination. Now, while the destination is of course important, overlooking the journey aspect may expose your plan to quite a few speed bumps along the way. Here’s how valuing your journey or process can benefit you:
Enhanced Enjoyment
Just imagine you’re flying over the alps with the ‘destination’ mindset. Chances are you’re taking a nap at the window seat and missing out on a gorgeous aerial view of the majestic mountains. It’s the same when you approach a business goal with a ‘destination’ mindset; you forget to enjoy your process. This is why it’s important to enjoy what you like about what you’re doing, so that you can maximize your efforts towards your goal by doing more of what you love. To risk another metaphor, you’re making the bumpy road ahead a beautiful drive down Sunset Boulevard.
More Learnings
When you limit your analysis to goals, your learnings are more results-oriented, and hence, your learning is limited. On the other hand, when you look at the process, you’re likely to take away a lot from analyzing it. You can not only identify your strengths and weaknesses but also redefine the way you move towards your goal.
No Room For Shortcuts
Though it may not be the case every time, goal-oriented plans expose themselves to the possibility of slackening of effort at non-critical stages and overcompensation when deadlines approach. This style of work may not give you much to take back as a learning professional. Instead, make every little step count by staying motivated throughout – this is only possible if you look at the process first. Add meaning to each step you take rather than just the distance you need to cover to achieve the milestone you’ve set.
Enhanced Well-Being
This point is not just limited to your business world; it’s purely an existential quest into your soul. “Why do you do what you do?”, “Do you enjoy what you do?” – while these phrases may sound like you’re trying to romanticize your work, your outlook can play a huge role in determining your physical and mental well-being through the process of achieving a target. The logic is simple; if you value and enjoy your actions, you’re bound to look at your goal positively rather than a stress factor.
