Why Does the Journey Matter More Than the Destination?

Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. – Lao Tzu

We often fear what we cannot understand. Before the lightbulb, people probably thought humans turning night into day was crazy. Before airplanes were invented, people probably thought humans flying was an insane idea. Before the internet, people from decades ago would probably think we are all absurd to be able to communicate with others all over the world while staying in the comfort of our own home, cafe or wherever we may be.

All these insane ideas came from people who wanted to make a difference in the world. Don’t you think the most memorable changes came from the most outrageous theories? Often, these theories were ridiculed and frowned on until someone was able to provide proof for them.

Among the people who provided the proofs, all had something in common. They all pursued their passions even if everyone else called them bizarre. Why do most people consider “things that has never been done before” crazy?

From attending a TedX San Diego event, while everyone of the speakers were unique, each one did have something similar. All the panels wanted to prove that they were not going to stop making changes in the world. They all began with a single step towards their goals.

The best physical example of a goal is marathons. Coming from the article and while observing athletes during the Olympics, these are the common themes:

1. Run at your own pace
   • Do not compare yourself to the other runners because everyone has their own ways
   • Everyone is different physically, mentally and spiritually
   • Their journey of getting to where they are now will be different from yours
   • Some have tons of experience while others have none
   • If you want to stand out, do not follow what everyone else is doing, but focus on your plans and personal goal
2. Balance and re-energize
   • You must know yourself to gauge when to increase your speed or slow down to re-energize
   • Re-energize by drinking water, eating food, and for business owners, go to sleep
   • Your stamina determines whether you will finish the marathon at all
   • If you run out of energy, who knows what else can go wrong
   • Without balance, both your physical and mental health will suffer
   • How can a business run efficiently if the owner is nowhere in sight physically and mentally
3. Find supporters
   • Have a community of alliances, friends, partnerships and supporters
   • They motivate you to keep going and not give up the long arduous path ahead
   • It is special if they are experiencing the journey too and be able to encourage one another
4. Commit to being successful
   • Success is different for everyone, but as long as you know your end goal, allow yourself to reach that goal no matter what
   • Stop making excuses and be comfortable at being uncomfortable
5. Break down walls or create new doors
   • If your stamina dwindles, think of all the possibilities on the other side of the wall
   • If the wall is too difficult to break down, then imagine and create a door to take your mind off the pain
   • Focus on new opportunities and encourage yourself to keep going

If we were to consider running a business as a combination of a marathon, a race relay and triathlon, the following applies:

1. Level up each time you finish a marathon, race relay, or triathlon by trying new tracks
   • Start out small and work your way up
2. Relays have multiple players passing the baton to one another
   • Illustrates experienced entrepreneurs sharing or passing on their ideas to new entrepreneurs
   • Prime example is TedX events
3. Experience new challenges
   • Sometimes having more than one skill can make all the difference
   • Triathlons not only involves running, but also cycling and swimming

If we treat business as a race, then the journey does matter more than the destination. Why? Doesn’t a race usually start and end in the same location since the path is circular? In that case, the experience itself makes it important, not the goal.

Whether the game is a marathon, race relay or triathlon, all of them still have something in common and that is you. Only you can create that experience through your choices. What of those choices will you be making today?

Business is a marathon, not a sprint. Success comes from endurance, strategy, and steady progress over time. — Unknown