I was at my daughter’s house and noticed a picture frame in her living room that she had purchased at an Art show in Pune, India, probably 20 years ago. The artist (Rao) who created the painting must also have been a poet/writer besides being a painter. See the artwork below

When I read the prose/verse (which is in Hindi) – I was struck by the depth of the message content, its relevance to our lives, and decided to share this.

Let me transcribe the prose above, first as a Hindi-English transliteration and then followed by the English translation

Jab se chala hu

       — Ever since I started my journey

Meri manzil pe nazar hain                                                                 

       — My focus has only been on my destination

Aankho ne kabhi

       — My eyes never strayed

Meel ka patthar nahi dekha

       — On the stone mile markers along the way

I believe incorporating this approach into our daily (personal and professional) lives will be very enriching and valuable.

Very often we start on our own journey with a clear goal in mind and are often intimidated by the progress made and the length/complexity of what still remains to be done to reach our goal.

Some tasks/journeys may take only hours, some may take days, others months or even years to complete; to reach our goal/destination. Staying focused on our end goal will re-energize us as we go through difficult phases of the execution process. Stay razor-focussed on what has been completed, versus what is still left to be done ahead of you. Watching the clock ticking by, or the exit number on the freeway, will only make the remaining journey more difficult, and create anxiety.

I remember (a long time back) during a hiking trek (Pine Brook Trail), off the Kancamagus HWY in the White Mountains (NH). The goal was to get to a beautiful, pristine serene lake embedded within the mountains and in the heart of nature itself; far away from human habitat. As we trekked along, we felt the urge to give up and turn back multiple times; but the thought of the picturesque lake kept us moving forward.

The longer the road to be traversed to reach your destination – the more relevant it is to follow this learning.

Entrepreneurship is a key example here. Founders at a start-up company have a vision/goal in mind. Their road is uncharted, although the general direction is known. When one will reach their successful end-point is unknown as well as all the hiccups and surprises on the way. So here is a case, where one has to be clear-sighted and focused on the end-goal.

This applies to any difficult projects, one may undertake in any field – personal or professional

So rather than watching the road all the time – make sure you have a good set of binoculars so you may never lose sight of your distant end-point, staying focused on getting there.