Results-Based Outcome

Too many people live their lives worried about “results-based outcomes.” We fixate on goals and the achieving of tasks. We focus on the destination always in a rush to get there and finally enjoy something. I suspect many folks are familiar with the old saying, “life is a journey not a destination.” Of course it seems obvious when you think about it. We spent much more time in the act of pursuing a goal than the miniscule moment of achieving it. This may be clear to some of you. But there is more to it that perhaps is not considered. What happens when you don’t achieve your goal?

There is a secondary trap of results-based thinking that even “life is a journey” folks often fall in to. This is the sense of failure at never reaching their destination. We mourn for our loss and our failures. All that could have been if only we had… Stop. Hold up for just a few minutes and look at this. Consider that whether you achieved the goal or not, you still spent a good portion of your life getting there—where ever you ended up. Life will never be a smooth transition from one happy event to another. Pitfalls are inevitable. No matter how much you planned or how talented you may be, things will not always work out. But that doesn’t matter. We struggle to find meaning in loss or failure. There is none—or at least there is just as much meaning in failure as there is in success. What mattered was life—that you were there to live it.

Without realizing it, all along your path, you have encountered many characters in your life story. Perhaps they seemed like small parts in your life. But what you don't know is if you may have accidentally played a large part in theirs. We have so little ability to comprehend the Grand Scheme. We only see our parts. But I can guarantee that even if you don't see it, your life has meaning to the world. Take heart that your story whether triumphant or tragedy has made the masterpiece of Life richer, deeper, more meaningful than anything we could have consciously done. A list of bullet point highlights makes for a poor life story. Be proud of your whole story. Share it with others. Laugh at its funny parts, cry in the sad parts, revel in its entire scope and compass, and know that all of it—every word—was worth reading. For the meaning of life is the joy of living it.