Mindful Reflection
January 1, 2026
Are We There Yet?
Progress, patience, and the discipline to stay the course.
Years ago, I hitchhiked across the country from New Mexico to Vermont. From the moment I started, much of my mental energy was spent calculating when I would arrive and imagining who I would see once I reached the Green Mountain State. Rarely, if ever, did I pause to consider the value of the journey itself or the experiences available along the way.
I still remember being in Nashville, Tennessee, at precisely 9:00 p.m. on a Saturday night. Music was pouring out of venues, the city was alive, and yet I stayed on the highway. Rather than detour into town and experience its legendary culture, I chose forward motion. My focus was singular: get to Vermont as quickly as possible.
I don’t regret the decision, but I often wonder what I might have learned had I taken that small detour. At the time, I had little money and even less comfort with uncertainty. Staying on the road felt safer. So I kept my thumb out and pushed east on I‑40, measuring success by miles covered rather than moments experienced.
The Question We Keep Asking
That same mindset shows up far beyond the highway. In business and in life, we are often impatient and restless in our pursuit of goals, results, or completion. Whether it’s the child in us, our drive for success, or our appetite for instant gratification, it all tends to boil down to the same persistent question:
Are we there yet?
Here’s the uncomfortable truth—at least in my humble opinion: we are never really “there.” If that’s true, why are we always in such a hurry? Why do we treat the present as something to endure rather than something to learn from?
Are we missing a critical ingredient in the recipe of life—one that allows us to see beyond the immediate and stay focused on what truly matters? Do we confuse goal attainment with vision? Do we mistake patience for indifference? If we’re honest, most of us live with these tensions every day.
Patience Is Strength, Not Passivity
Patience is not indifference. Patience is strength. It reflects the ability to withstand both internal and external pressures without losing focus or direction. Being patient does not mean we passively accept what is; it means we remain committed to what we are becoming, regardless of current circumstances.
True patience is active. It requires discipline, resilience, and clarity of purpose. It allows us to keep moving forward without becoming frantic, discouraged, or distracted by short-term discomfort.
Vision Requires Constant Reach
The proof that we have a vision is that we are reaching for more than we already possess. Vision pulls us forward. When we stop reaching – when we become satisfied and allow ourselves to relax in the pursuit of becoming better, our vision begins to blur.
Improvement stalls. Momentum fades. Potential quietly erodes.
Regardless of what the vision may be, without consistent diligence and focus it becomes increasingly difficult, sometimes impossible—to attain. Vision is not a one-time declaration; it is a daily commitment.
The Hidden Danger of Success
Ironically, a measure of success can be more dangerous than failure. After achieving something meaningful, we are tempted to say, “Now I’ve got it. Now I’m complete.” That mindset is the first step toward decline.
Comfort breeds complacency.
Vince Lombardi captured this truth perfectly when he wrote about his beloved Green Bay Packers: “We must strive for perfection to attain excellence.” Our reach must always exceed our grasp.
The Apostle Paul echoed this same principle when he wrote, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on…” (Philippians 3:12). Experience alone gives us only what we’ve already had. Vision gives us more – it gives us direction, purpose, and forward motion.
The Reset Button
We see this pattern clearly in sports and in business. Athletes, managers, and owners talk about winning championships – the Stanley Cup, the World Series, the Super Bowl – as the ultimate prize. And in one sense, they are. But what happens tomorrow?
If success is not repeated, its glow fades quickly. In business, a banner year means little if it cannot be sustained or improved. Stock prices fall. Confidence erodes. Expectations reset.
As a sales professional, I learned this lesson firsthand. Every January 1st, the scoreboard reset. Zero sales. Zero percent of goal. Whatever I accomplished the prior year no longer mattered – only what I would do next.
For some, that reality is discouraging. For others, it’s motivating. For most, it is simply the job. Regardless of how it feels, the truth remains: the climb always begins again.
Staying on the Road
So how do we press on when we keep asking, “Are we there yet?” How do we stay committed to a long-term vision in a world wired for speed and instant gratification?
We begin by holding a vision that matters – one we genuinely believe in – and allowing it to be flexible without becoming fragile. We commit to it, adjust when necessary, and execute our plan one day at a time.
That approach requires patience and persistence, especially in the face of adversity – much of it self-induced. The road will have bumps, potholes, detours, sharp turns, and steep grades. There will be ditches on both sides.
Still, it is the road that leads us where we want to go.
Helen Keller said it best: “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”
The destination matters. But who we become along the way matters just as much.
Leadership will change your life – I guarantee it.
