As I write this, I am on my way back from spending time with one of my sons. We had planned to visit the south coast of the UK and to admire the amazing views of the coastline. The area totally lived up to expectations and we had a good time hiking up and down the hills, walking by the ocean and enjoying the views.

However, when reflecting back on the trip, it was actually the hours in the car while we drove south from London and back where we freely talked and had a great time together that mattered the most to me. The value of the trip turned out to be in the “boring” part, driving, even if the destination was definitely worth it.

Reflecting on this, I realize that this is the case very often in life. We are all goal oriented people and think that the value is in reaching the goal, whereas in reality it typically is the journey towards the goal where the real value is. Reaching the goal may even lead to a depressed period, as many PhD candidates can attest to after receiving their degree. The challenge is that we often are so focused on the goal that we fail to appreciate the journey that we’re on. So, as a reflection for today: are you enjoying the journey or only focused on the goal?