The Process Is The Prize

I’ve always been a goal-oriented, achievement-motivated guy. I was the kid in the backseat repeatedly asking my father, “When are we going to be there?”

As an adult, that characteristic manifested in a drive to succeed. The vision of obtaining the prize, whether it be the winning brief, the jury verdict, or a financial milestone, energized and enabled me to work hard, sometimes crazy hours.

Just this week, I worked from 8:00 a.m. until 5 a.m. the next day on a brief because I was so focused on winning the case and wanted the brief to be the absolute best it could be.

There is, however, a danger in being hardwired like me, and that is in letting the goal become the primary reward. If you live only for the destination, you will miss out on 90% of life because 90% of life is the drive, not the destination.

Destinations stand out as outposts on the trail of life, but truly living means learning to enjoy the time on the trail.  It is in learning that the process is the prize. GS

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