The Journey Is Part Of Your Destination

I get it. You’ve made the plans. You set the goals. You focus on the steps to take to get to the end result. When you focus only on the destination, you miss the gifts of the journey.

The journey is all of your experiences as you work towards the end result. It’s the stress, the not knowing, the ups and downs, the pivots when things don’t work out, and feeling like you will never get to the end. Why should these be celebrated? These provide you with a time of growth, being creative, being vulnerable, rethinking your end result and making changes, and becoming the best you that you can be.

Is it all fun and games? Absolutely not. Are there a lot of tears involved? Likely so. As well as doubt, frustration, and bewilderment. And, some laughter and successes, too.

Case in point. I don’t know the last time I did something the “way we’re supposed to”. I took 6 years to finish undergrad because I struggled believing if I’d be smart enough “to go all the way” and get my doctorate. 

I changed plans when I unexpectedly moved from Chicago to Minneapolis and needed to research new graduate school possibilities.

I then added a year to my master’s program as I moved back to Chicago and needed to find a site to complete my clinical hours. 

A year into my doctorate program, I became a mom. And, during my pre-doctoral internship, I started my divorce.

None of my experiences were neatly tied up in a pretty bow. Each of my experiences taught me so much more about life and myself than if I had just done 4 years of college and then gone straight into my doctorate program. The “detours” on my journey are what made me who I am today.

Were my experiences all fun? Absolutely not. Some were fun and exciting - exploring new cities and meeting new people, getting married, and having my son. Some, like my divorce was devastating and becoming a single mom was terrifying. Yet, looking back I am thankful for each of those experiences - no matter how heart wrenching they may have been at the time.

Life hasn’t been all roses - well maybe it has been roses with some thorns 😊. However, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I know I can stand on my own. I have a great support system who have my back. I had fun back in the day helping my son build his pinewood derby car and be his park district’s basketball coach for two years. I wouldn’t have done these things once upon a time. Now I have these memories of special time spent with him - as well as remembering the disbelief of some of the dad coaches (who thought they were in the NCAA) when our team won. 

So what’s my point? As fun as it is to complete your goals and check them off of your to do list, don’t forget to take the time and experience your journey - the good and the not-so-good. Those experiences; that journey is shaping who you will be in the future. 

Are you ready for your journey? A coach can help you along the way as you plot out your goals and ride that roller coaster of uncertainty as you journey to your destination. If so, schedule a call with me where we can chat as to what that might look like for you. I look forward to connecting with you