Living in the moment beats striving. It feels better. When you’re striving, you are in a state that says, I need to be more, I need to become more, or I need to acquire more. All of this is simply a state of lack. It is not particularly fun to pursue goals when you’re driven by lack.
Also, striving can be surprisingly inefficient. If you’re always rushing about, trying to get things done, you might find yourself, not only exhausted, but quite unproductive as well. I find that it’s better to focus on the present moment, rather than rush towards goals. It’s better, not only for the process but often the outcome too.
Striving is rooted in charge
Goals can be good things. Goals are good when it helps us to make better long-term decisions. But striving is often not that. Striving is usually not grounded in mindfulness and pragmatism. Striving is often rooted in a charge that says, I will change this, no matter the cost.
If reaching some destination becomes more important than the process of getting there, things usually go awry. This is because during the effort of trying to get something done by any means necessary, we usually neglect presence and mindfulness. We might neglect many small and important tasks along the way to get to some idealised destination. We might neglect the energy and intention that we bring to each day and moment. Worst case, we might end up doing dubious things just to get to our final destination.
But the truth is that the goal is never truly separate from the process. And there really is no final destination.
There is no top of the mountain
When we strive to reach some destination because we believe that it will give us more prestige, or worth, or inner peace, we forget that what we do in this moment is the only thing that matters. This moment is the only thing we can really control. We often think that reaching the top of the mountain will make us whole. But there is no top of the mountain. There is only this moment right now.
Striving is the thing we do when we want to get away from this moment because we are unsatisfied with it. Striving is the thing that we do when we want to get away from this present version of ourselves. The charge of self-doubt and unworthiness drives us. We think that the destination will make us feel better, more worthy, or less lacking. But the destination doesn’t truly exist. Life is a series of moments. Why is the one at the goal post the most important one?
Also, how often does reaching goals take away inner turmoil? (Here’s a related post.)
Living in the moment is more grounded and feels better
I don’t view all pursuits as striving. We should have meaningful projects in our lives. Things that we work towards and want to accomplish. Such pursuits and intentions are often more grounded and less charged. It means that we are not driven by unworthiness or emotional turmoil but rather by an internal desire to contribute. It means that our emotional well-being is not dependent on reaching some destination. The process is the destination. (Here’s a related post.) When we live this way, we are content to be where we are while still moving towards things that we want to accomplish. We aren’t forsaking presence for some false future.
Living in the moment beats striving to get somewhere.