Purposeful Direction

 

I am a fan of 10000-hour practice rule. Why because it feels achievable and anything that feels achievable is doable. That is what purpose does for us, it makes impossible feels possible and difficult achievable. Yesterday I discussed connections w.r.t. purpose. Today I go a step ahead and discuss Direction and exhilaration. Even though exhilaration forms a part of the overall gambit of emotions, the reason I brought it up as a stand-alone point was to focus on the importance of the point of achievement not just when one achieves something but also when we see how much progress one has made. 

Purpose, progress and direction work in tandem to create a feeling of exhilaration. It is not just how far we have to go, but also how far we have come. The sense of direction is the most difficult to maintain when purpose seems elusive. The possibility of losing track, or questioning intent or criticism, makes it impossible for us to sometimes keep us focused. 

Therefore progress and purpose go hand in hand.  I  came across this interesting quote, by Robert Lowell. “Sometimes nothing is so solid to me as writing - I suppose that's what a vocation means - at times a torment, a bad conscience, but all in all, purpose and direction.”

As I sit here writing this blog, I know how apt this is, a sense of purpose and direction from being able to write every day means being able to conquer all odds.  A purpose has the ability to make us feel important.

But just like so many things, this also requires caution. Do not look at someone else’s purpose to make sense of your journey. Your journey, your direction, your progress, your purpose and even you sense of joy that you derive from it is very personal to you. No one else has the same set of circumstances, even when they might share the purpose.

Comparing journeys distracts you. Avoid it. And if someone else does it, walk away. The world has enough people who will distract you and very few who will put you back on the path. Don’t add yourself to the list of distraction.