don’t mistake continual activity for meaningful work

“Consider this: A man comes home at night and flops down on the couch. He says, ‘I’ve been going, going, going.’ But the real question is, ‘Doing what?’ Some people are going, going, going, but they’re doing figure eights. They’re not making much progress.” — Jim Rohn

Out of all the people who go to their respective workplaces every weekday, ironically only a tiny percentage of them actually perform meaningful work. Most people get or at least appear to be extremely busy at work. Fueled by caffeine, energy drinks, deadlines, and various incentives, monetary and otherwise, they get involved in one work activity or another throughout their workday. However, the truth is that they’re mistaking this daily, incessant activity for their life’s work.

Intellectually, they know they’re doing the wrong thing, that they’re climbing the ladder on the wrong wall, but still they keep going.

Running away from truth, from your truth, only does you harm in the long term. Many people deny their deepest passions and desires in pursuit of hollow accomplishments. They know deep down they should’ve pivoted or changed their directions completely three, five, or even ten years ago. But they didn’t have the courage within them to take the leap. They lacked the tenacity and the guts to burn the bridges and march on a more obscure but meaningful path.  

If you think you’re on the wrong path, it’s time you take a pause, go deep within yourself, gain some clarity, and make solid plans to course-correct immediately.

The sooner you start on the right track, the sooner you’ll accomplish your most treasured goals and desires, bringing you unparalleled meaning, joy, and peace in the process. It’s all cause and effect after all. Wrong roads only take you to the wrong destinations.

As Brendon Burchard beautifully puts it, “You’re never going to make a lot of money doing the wrong thing. And if you do, then you’re more likely to start doing the wrong things. Makes sense, right? Because there’s no meaning there, there’s no significance and no real contribution. You made some money doing the wrong thing, so now you start turning into that character who starts pursuing money for the ends of money.”