I was reflecting on my recent entry, Eight Hours Of Flying In Small Planes In Three Days and realized an important point...
Yes, flying ended up taking about as much time as driving, and yes, it was more expensive, but, the point of flying vs. driving was not solely to get there faster or cheaper - it was not merely a method of transportation. In fact, it wasn't primarily about transportation.
The point was - to get there, and to get home. But those were end points, or maybe not even that, just milestones.
The bigger point was to have an enjoyable weekend, with enjoyable experiences embedded into that overall purpose.
From that perspective, flying was not simply a means to an end, but an experience in and of itself. And one which had the added benefit of furthering our overall purpose by getting us from point A to point B and back.
I tend to be so goal oriented that I often miss the enjoyment of the journey. Not only that, but when I find myself at my goal, I sometimes feel somewhat empty, feeling "okay, I've done it, now (and so) what?" I often saw this pattern with my skydiving students. They would be really focused and motivated during student status, but as soon as they completed their student progression, they would lose interest and drift away from the sport. This is pretty much what happened to me with my flying initially. I worked hard to get my license, but then drifted away only a few months after achieving my goal. Granted, there were other factors - the shift from working back to school with the consequent impacts on finances and free time, then a new job which paid little and consumed lots of time, then getting married and having an instant family - even less discretionary money and time. But, maybe most importantly... because I had no new goal to continue to motivate me to fly.
And that was the real issue, wasn't it?
I didn't realize that the real point of flying wasn't to reach to goal I had set - the real point of flying was the flying!
Yes, the goals are nice - they help keep me motivated to expended resources - time, money, energy.
But, it's important to not miss the trees, as I strive to get to the edge of the forest.
And, it's important to think - while I am still in the forest - about what I want the next journey to be when I get to that next destination, and to remember that what really matters is the journey, not the destination.
Plan for tomorrow, but live in today.
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Posted by David at September 08, 2006 10:48 AM