Just Focus On What's Next

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Sometimes, the goals we set for ourselves are overwhelming. The bigger the goal or the more challenging the objective, the harder it can be to fathom how we will get there.

We get caught up in the sheer scale of our idea, or we start setting all sorts of impossible timelines and expectations that we think we need to achieve on our path there.

In other instances, we get caught up in ourselves. Feelings of inadequacy, the “Imposter Syndrome”, fear of what others will think (both on our way ‘there’ or even once we actually get ‘there’).

The tragedy of this sort of thinking is that it so often stops us from actually venturing down that path. Or even when we do, at the first sign of trouble or lack of what we perceive as ‘material’ progress, we conclude that it isn’t going to happen. And then we do the worst thing we can possibly do. We stop.

We stop.

We throw away all of those ideas, those goals, those opportunities, because the road ahead of us - a road that more often than not we’ve defined for ourselves - becomes difficult or has a few more twists and turns than we originally expected.

But what if we didn’t, though?

What if we put aside our socially-defined expectations, our hunger for short-term gratification, and, yes, possibly even our own unreasonable milestones?

What if we simply focused on the journey? On the next step. And then the next. And then the next.

What if, instead of looking at the journey as an obstacle, something we just need to be done with, to get over with, what if we actually enjoyed the process of getting there? Versus always thinking that we’ll only ever enjoy things once we get ‘there’?

Let’s decide not get caught up. Let’s not overthink and overcomplicate. Let’s not overanalyze.

Let’s be clear about our mission, who and what we are trying to change. And then let’s go ahead and do it.

Step by step.

Let’s decide to focus on the journey, the next step. That’s it.