I was talking with a friend recently who was taking a family vacation driving through New England with an eleven-year-old son. Remember those seeming endless car rides, when much of the conversation was based around the question “Are we there yet”? Have you ever watched a clock to be able to finish a class, end the workday, touch down on your home airport runway, or to be able to watch that special television broadcast? Have you ever wanted to just get to the end of the “road trip” as soon as possible?
I once hitchhiked cross-country from New Mexico to Vermont. I recall calculating constantly about when I would arrive and who I would see when I reached the Green Mountain state. I never once thought about the value of the trip or the places that I could experience along the way. Believe it or not, I was in Nashville, Tennessee at precisely 9 PM on a Saturday night and decided to stay on the highway versus go into town and experience the great culture and music that was taking place at that particular time. Without any serious regret, I still wonder what more I could have learned if I took a slight detour from my intense drive to get to Vermont as quickly as possible. After all, I didn’t have much money and was without any comfort about being in Nashville so the more likely decision was for me to keep my thumb out and see just how far east I could get along I40 before I had to turn in for the night.
In business or in our personal lives we very often have the tendency to be impatient and restless regarding attaining goals, getting results or finishing a project. Whether it is the “kid in us”, the drive for success, or simply the insatiable want of instant gratification, it pretty much all adds up to the same thing – “Are we there yet?”
The fact of the matter is…in my humble opinion…we are NEVER there yet. If that is true, why then are we in such a hurry…all the time? Could it be that we are missing some major ingredient in the recipe of life that enables us to see beyond the immediate and focus on the important? Could it be that we confuse goal attainment with vision and indifference with patience? Can you relate in any way with these conflicts?
Patience is not the same as indifference; patience conveys the idea of someone who is tremendously strong and able to withstand all assaults, both internal and external. Patience does not mean we are relaxed or succumbing to what is, but that we are remaining focused on what we hope to become or achieve regardless of current circumstances.
The proof that we have a vision is that we are reaching out for more than we already have. It is a bad thing to be satisfied and allow ourselves to relax when it comes to becoming better or becoming who we have a vision to become. Regardless and non-judgmental of what the vision is, without continuous diligence and focus, the vision will become blurred and possibly unattainable.
In addition, with some success, we are apt to look for satisfaction within ourselves and say, “Now I’ve got it! Now I am complete. Now I can endure all things.” Instantly we are on the road to ruin. We will likely become lazy or satisfied. Our reach must exceed our grasp. As Vince Lombardi said and wrote about his beloved Green Bay Packers football team “We must strive for perfection to attain excellence.”
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on . . .” (Philippians 3:12). If we have only what we have experienced, we have only that. But if we have the inspiration of a vision, we have more.
We often hear athletes; managers and owners talk about winning the Stanley Cup; the World Series; the World Cup or the Super Bowl and it being the ultimate prize. Of course, all of that is true in a sense, but what about tomorrow? What happens during the next season of play? If those same athletes, managers or owners do not repeat their win, the glory of their accomplishment wanes. In business, if you have a tremendously profitable year, but do not consistently repeat it or improve it, your stock price is likely to drop. As a sales professional, I know full well that come January 1st of each new year I am back at zero. I am at zero sales and 0% of goal when the calendar flips to a new year. It doesn’t matter what I did the prior year, but only what I am doing in the current year. Thus, the glory of having a great year dissipates rapidly as the new year progresses. So, I always remind myself that regardless of whether a hero or not at year’s end, I will be beginning the climb again come January 1st. That reality is difficult for some; motivational for others and simply part of the job for many.
So how then, do we press on when we are continually asking the question “Are we there yet?” How do we continually press on when we live in an age where the norm is that of seeking instant gratification? How do we stay focused on a vision, when seeking immediate reward and today is more important than tomorrow? We can begin by having a vision that we believe in and plan to achieve. We can continue by staying that course by executing our plan – one day at a time. That will require patience and persistence in the face of all kinds of adversity, including that which is self-induced. The road leading to that vision will be filled with bumps, potholes and ditches on either side, but it is still a road to our destination – best to stay on it.
“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” – Helen Keller