Moving From a Destination Focus to Valuing the Journey
Moving From a Destination Focus to Valuing the Journey
Hello, my friend! The time has moved quickly from last week to this week. What endings did you encounter? Were you able to choose to unfurl your hands? Did you have some moments of “arms and hands open wide, twirling barefoot in the grass, head back, with abandoned laughter and don’t care who is looking, kind of living” this week? I hope so! Now that our hands and our minds are not as clenched, this week, I thought we could chat about moving from a destination focus to valuing the journey.
Mindsets
The Merriam Webster Online Dictionary describes the term mindset this way: 1) a mental attitude or inclination 2) a fixed state of mind (retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mind-set). So a mindset is a fixed way of looking at something. Mindsets are kind of like strong habits. They are deep-seated beliefs that we may or may not be aware of in our conscious minds, but that dictate our ways of behaving. We are, for the most part, comfortable with our mindsets. When someone tries messing with the way we think, we get uncomfortable.
But since we have committed to some “arms and hands open wide, twirling barefoot in the grass, head back, with abandoned laughter and don’t care who is looking, kind of living”, I thought it would be OK to disrupt some mindsets today!
A Destination Focus
Are you a traveller? Do you love to explore, see new places and experience new things? Do you travel physically or even vicariously through movies and books? As novice travellers we generally start out with a destination focus. The vacation/trip/adventure doesn’t really begin until you have arrived at your destination. At that point in time you can let down your hair, kick off your shoes and begin to relax and enjoy. The rest is just a necessary evil meant only to be endured until you get to the meat of your adventure.
What I’ve come to learn is that this part that is meant only to be endured actually takes up a large chunk of your vacation time. The trains, planes and automobiles that you need to take to get where you are going and back home can be as much as ¼ to ½ of your time away.
Experienced Travellers
What experienced travellers have learned, is that all parts of your vacation/adventure are to be enjoyed. The moment you begin dreaming about your trip, the fun begins. There is the dreaming stage, then the planning stage, then the preparation stage and the getting there stage and the arriving stage and the adventure itself followed by the preparations to return home, the trip home and then the reminiscing and sharing that takes place upon your return. When you are only focused on enjoying the actual destination, look at all the other opportunities for enjoyment you are missing! Yes, some of the bits and pieces of your adventure may not be fun and interesting in the same way, but surely, in all our wisdom, we can find ways to make it more enjoyable.
A Shift In Mindset
For instance, take the travel time to and from your adventure. We may not all enjoy the early morning trip to the airport or the waiting time, however, if we challenged our destination mindset, things may look differently. I can bring fun snacks and a great book I’ve been waiting to read. I can take fun selfies. I can have uninterrupted talk time with my spouse. I can chat with others who are also waiting. I can have some quiet, uninterrupted time to just rest. I can actually sip and enjoy that cup of coffee that I never seem to get time to finish at home. It is also a great time to catch up on knitting or crocheting. A shift in mindset can free up a lot of time!
Life and Destination Focus
We often ask ourselves and those around us, “Why do I feel so rushed?” It feels like there are not enough hours in the day and not enough time and energy to go around. I have an answer for you. Regardless of how much we actually “produce” in a day, when we subscribe, knowingly or unknowingly, to a destination focus in our life, we will be left tired and run ragged. There will be a distinct lack of satisfaction and joy in that which we have accomplished.
You can’t have a to-do list long enough, that when it is all checked off, produces satisfaction in and of itself. We are not built that way. We are built for joy and purpose, not doing for the sake of doing.
Valuing the Journey - Shortening Our Time
It is time to shift our mindset from a destination focus to valuing the journey. So, how do we value the journey? That will look a bit different for all of us. However, there are a few things we all need to know. The first thing we need to stop doing is always looking ahead to the next thing we have to do or get through. How often in a day do we say or think, “If I could just get xyz done”. What happens when you get it done? You quickly move on to another target to complete. We feel rushed because we are always watching something ahead of us; wishing out time away. And we wonder why our time seems so short.
Valuing the Journey -Measuring the Moments
The next thing we need to do is begin valuing the moments. Time is made up of moments. Bits and pieces of time in between those things we are aiming to get done. The moments are where the joy is found. That is where we see our purpose being fulfilled. This is where we find the “aha”. Without a focus on the moments we are like hamsters on a wheel – moving fast, expending a lot of energy, maybe producing, but feeling like we aren’t getting anywhere. How do we do find value in the moments? Engage. Stop thinking about the next thing and the next thing and focus on the thing you are doing right now. Give it your full attention. Treat it like it is the only thing on your to do list. And see what happens.
Valuing the Journey - Relationship and Surrender
The other important piece of enjoying the journey is in trusting that there is a solid plan – whether that plan is detailed or loosely designed for spontaneity in between. For every great journey there is at least one planner; one that gets out the maps and plans the route and the stops along the way. God has prepared this journey called life, for us. We are His “workmanship”; He has created us with a plan and a purpose. If we are walking in relationship with Him, we can trust that He will direct our steps. That takes a lot of the pressure off. When the journey is well designed there is freedom to move in the moment without worrying about “what’s next”. We may not always see the big picture at once, but when we are spending time with Him, He will at the very least, show you that one next step you need to take.
Valuing the Journey - Unique to You
The rest is up to you. How you choose to find joy and purpose and the “aha” in your moments may look different from how I do it. Some of it will be trial and error. But the most important piece is that you recognize that a destination focus is a mindset; a mindset that can and needs to be changed in your life. Valuing the journey as a whole will help take the rush out and put the joy into the moments that make up the journey.
What I Know
I know that recognizing and changing mindsets is not something that you do overnight. It is, in itself, a journey – a journey of self-discovery and growth that is also to be enjoyed. Don’t allow it to become a destination. Be aware of the moments and let the Holy Spirit guide and direct your steps as you aim to become more and more like Jesus.
Until Next Time
Well, it is that time again. My teacup is empty. I encourage you to continue to choose “arms and hands open wide, twirling barefoot in the grass, head back, with abandoned laughter and don’t care who is looking, kind of living” this week, which includes starting to shift from a destination focus to valuing the journey.
I Would Love to Hear from You!
Drop a note in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you! Be in touch and share your experience with destinations and journeys! Growth is much more effective and more fun when we do it together! Let’s take this space and make it a place to share and encourage one another.
If you are interested in more Devotional reading, head over to my Facebook Page where you will find a Weekly Devotion early every Monday morning. Click here to go directly to Weekly Devotions with Laurie.
Until next time,
From my heart to yours!
Laurie
