Pay attention to the Journey AND the Destination

Always stop to enjoy the view, but never lose sight of where you're headed.

Many good-intended people will tell you that life is a journey and not a destination.  They will advise you to "stop and smell the roses," or "carpe diem(!), because life is what happens when you're making other plans."  While this may sound promising to some, a self-made sage intuitively knows that this is only half the story.

The point most people miss with their advice is that all the things you do along your journey should at least point you in the direction of your destination.

They are equally important.

Appreciating where you are and what you have is indeed a critical part of living a happy and fulfilling life.  You do need to be able to look around at your surroundings and enjoy the daily moments.  BUT if you are only focused on the destination, and not the journey, you will never discover how to get there... or if you do end up there, it will likely take longer and be more difficult along the way.

Likewise, if you only focus on the journey, and not the destination, you may end up with a few pleasant memories at the end, but you're unlikely to ever find a destination... you might as well be walking in circles and enjoy the view as you go nowhere.

Take action now: Set a calendar alert for 30 days from now. Pay attention to all the actions you take between now and then and think about whether or not they are leading you towards your goals. After 30 days, spend at least an hour evaluating those actions.  If you determine Yes, they are taking you to where you need to be, congratulations keep it up. If you determine No, they're not helping you at all and perhaps leading you in a wrong direction, then spend that time for getting back on track. Repeat this exercise every month.

You might view this as having a life strategy (and determining your destination) and then taking the appropriate actions to achieve it (the steps along your journey).   Each part relates to the other, for you can not successfully have one without its counterpart. 

So by all means take the scenic route in life... take the road less traveled and sail uncharted waters... but be sure it is leading you in the right direction.  A fantastic voyage loses its luster if you never get to where you need to be.