Destination: Giving Meaning to the Daily Grind

I go to work, pay the bills, clean the house, take care of the kids, serve in my church, and go to sleep exhausted, just to get up and do it again the next day. What's it all for? I feel as if my future retirement is the only potential source of relief. I want to enjoy life, but there are so many demands, how am I supposed to do it?

Life is a journey, but sometimes we see it more as a journey away from something rather than towards something. We go to work to avoid being poor. We clean the house to avoid the in-laws calling us slobs. We take care of the kids to avoid having the kind of kids that listen to that new fangled Rocky Rolly music, or whatever they call it. Oh, and we go to church to avoid eternal damnation. When you think about it, that's no way to live. Of course it wears you out! It's a constant fleeing from an unrelenting pursuer.

There's a better way. Have a goal in mind, but make it more than a goal. Make it a destination; where you ultimately want to end up. This destination will give meaning to the list of never ending daily tasks. Start seeing work as an opportunity to build a better life for your family. Clean the house because you want a comfortable and inviting home. Spend time with your kids because you want to be a great parent who your kids will respect and trust even after they grow up and go out on their own.

As you move towards a destination, every day means you are one step closer. If instead you're running away from problems that simply reappear the next day, it feels like treading water and never making progress.

Define your destination and decide if your daily actions are moving you towards that destination. If not, make the appropriate changes.