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Enjoy the Journey

I'm learning that financial goals are tough. They take extreme patience; something I knew I lacked when I became a parent and something that I'm already battling 3 weeks in. The thoughts. The time I know it's going to take. The long, delayed gratification it will take to feel like I've accomplished my goal. A trait that my generation lacks according to the opinion of the generations before us.

I had thoughts of getting a second job yesterday. Not for the extra income (which would be nice, too), but to feel like I'm maxing out my efforts. The opposite of extreme patience - extreme effort. While the extra income would be nice, I know that another job would put strain on everything else that is important to me.

It was a reminder that things take time. When we don't appreciate that, that's when our resolve begins to fade and our effort slips. Our goals fail. I see this all the time in myself and others.

Appreciate and enjoy the journey - with every area of life.

It reminds me of one of my favorite songs, from a band called The Strumbellas. The chorus goes:

"Ohhh, we don't know the roads that we're heading down,
But we all know if we're lost, that we'll find a way.
We don't know if we leave, will we make it home,
But we all know, if there's hope, then we'll be okay"

The song is called We Don't Know, give it a listen.

In High School, my best friend and I would fill up his tiny car with gas. This was back when gas was .89 cents per gallon. We would then drive. We would purposely take roads we'd never been on before. We were trying to get lost. Against our best efforts, we were always able to find our way back home. We saw many beautiful things we'd never seen before. We shared many laughs along the way. Not one time did we worry about the outcome, but we had a memorable journey every single time. We always made it home.

Enjoy the journey.



Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 1, 2018 at 4:01 PM

    Glad you decided against the second job. Obviously an option for those in dire circumstances but I would argue that there becomes a point of diminishing returns. The lost time with family, friends, and interests also has a high cost. In my opinion it is better to carry a little debt than sacrifice time with loved ones. The kids grow up too fast and they'll never be these ages again...

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