A few days ago, while I was waiting for the train at the metro station, my mind was rambling as it often does when my body is idle. Usually, I don't take notes. I just let my thoughts go anywhere they want, free from the need to be crystallized in any form.
Most of the time, these thoughts are gone as soon as I begin doing something. Sometimes they come back later in some morning apple.
This time, however, I felt the urgency to jot down something. My train was approaching, so I took out my small notebook and scribbled a few words.
Your "why" shouldn't be only in your final goal, your destination. It should be as much in the process, in the journey to where you want to go.
I was thinking of some conversations I had with leaders or entrepreneurs who told me that one of their worries is to invest in helping someone grow, only to see them live at some point. They'd love to have guarantees that the person will stay to make the investment worth it.
Then, in my mental rambling, I realized that I heard similar words from people investing in relationships or projects. They were all worried that the work they were putting in would not deliver the desired results.
That's when those words came out, and I had to note them down.
If the destination is the only thing giving meaning to your journey, is it really worth it? And will you give all that you've got knowing that your effort may be fruitless?
I always found it way more energizing to find meaning in the journey as much as, if not more, in the destination. When you do something just because you find meaning in doing it, then there can be no failure, and you will infuse all of yourself into it, without conditions or doubts.