I’m thinking this will be the last blog post I write as part of the Bored to Tears series. I originally created the series to inspire some optimism during the troubling times we’ve been facing for the past couple of months. And for the most part, it seems to have worked. I’ve received an overwhelmingly positive response from the four posts I’ve dropped so far. But here’s the deal: we’re all tired of hearing about the virus. The quarantine. The struggle of finding toilet paper. All of it. And while we have a long way to go as we look to eventually return to some degree of normalcy, for now we must accept our current condition as it is. So this post will be a bit different than its predecessors in the series.
Let’s talk about the future. SPILT MILK wasn’t founded on taking a retrospective approach to life. We live in the moment and welcome failure and adversity with open arms, knowing that making mistakes will only help us become better moving forward. It’s that future state that gives us something to strive for. Whatever your idea of happiness and success, living your life with the “don’t cry” philosophy in mind will make it easier to someday get there. And that’s exactly what we should be doing right now. Instead of worrying about how bummy today might be, think about how great things will be on the other side of all this. Find something to look forward to.
When we feel like we have nothing else, we still have hope. Quarantine aside, think about what you want most for your future self. Maybe it’s something tangible. A house. A car. A job. Or maybe it’s simply a feeling. Confidence. Security. Freedom. Setting goals is a good way to ensure you stay present and avoid dwelling on the past (except to learn from what didn’t work before, of course). And it’s this purpose and desire to achieve these goals that keep us moving forward. The journey might not be easy. In fact, it usually isn’t for the things that are truly worth the trouble. But no matter the setbacks you face along the way, there’s something important to keep in mind:
The finish line is always at the end of the race.
Setbacks are just that. They set you back a bit. But the finish line doesn’t move behind you until you cross it. There’s no reason to look back. More importantly, the things we look forward to on the other side still remain. Because of this, worrying about the problems we might face along the way do us no good. Details are important, sure. But details are worth little to nothing if you never step back to look at the bigger picture.
With this universal situation we find ourselves in today, the same principle applies. And with this universal situation comes universal goals. We want to go outside. We want to see our friends. We want to go back to work. With patience, we will eventually get there. The journey will be bearable as long as we don’t let the bad things around us cloud our vision. Focus on doing your best in the present, but keep the end goal in mind. Always.
Until we get there, let’s continue to play our part. As I just mentioned, the key word here is universal. It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s about us. I guarantee we’ll reach our goals faster if we stay in this together.
I’ll see you at the finish line.
by Noah Jacobs, Founder of SPILT MILK