It's The Ride That Counts

 by: Selena Richardson

Having goals is a good thing. It means that you're willing to take the first step to achieving those goals. When you write down your goals, articulate them on paper, that's the first step to achieving them.

But what about the second step, the third and the fourth and so on? If you persevere and keep focused you will eventually reach the goals that you set for yourself. But when you finally reach that goal, how will you feel about it?

Will it be a sense of accomplishment and pride? Or will it be more of 'yeah I finally got it done' and you're just happy that you've gotten it over with?

The route you take while pursuing your goal determines how you feel about it at the end. It's the ride that counts. Have you been on a road trip where everything that could go wrong did? How did you feel when you finally got to your destination? Pretty worn out, huh? Now what about a good road trip where everything went smoothly? You were probably still tired depending on how long the trip was but you were a bit happier when you got there.

See, it's how you get there that counts. If you're miserable during the entire trip, you're going to be miserable when you get to where you're going. I've had too many road trips where everyone in the car was cranky during the entire ride and as soon as we got to our last stop, the crankiness only continued on. Sure we were glad to get there but only because we were finally there and able to get out of the car. We were just glad the trip was over and still quite a bit cranky too.

But when the road trip is smooth and fun with no accidents or construction or any mishaps, not only are you happy during the ride but you're ecstatic when you get to your final stop. You're not as tired and worn out as you would have been if it were a bad trip.

It's the same thing with your goals. You're more appreciative of achieving your goals if you have fun with it while you're working on it. So enjoy the ride, have fun and there will be a lot more satisfaction when you reach your goals.