The statement “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will do,” has somewhat of a political meaning going back to the Civil Rights Movement. At one point, the quote was coined by Malcolm X. The belief was that you had to take a stand to have a sense of value and worth. Sometimes, a person had to stand alone. Ultimately, it was a choice, and that was a powerful feeling and right to have. Therefore, the later part of that statement “any road will do” became a cop out for many individuals who did not take ownership of their lives and the direction they wished to travel.
Regardless of whom you are and what your daily motivation is, you should always have a feeling of purpose and significance. Each day you wake up, you should have a personal agenda or objective. Even if it is as simple as relaxing, or even just going with the flow, you have made a mental choice.
Because life can deal us a handful of daily challenges, it is important to know where you are going or at least where you would like to go. As an adult, you soon realize that life is about choices. I am sure we can all remember our parents or even grandparents constantly reminding us to do our best in school and stay out of trouble so that later in life, we would be able to make the right choices. That advice was preparation for the future so that as adults, we did not find ourselves still depending on others to make our decisions. Adulthood is the defining moment where you actually take the bull by the horns and venture toward the success you have prepared for yourself.
For some, any road will do because they have emerged as followers and not leaders of their own destinies. These individuals have not taken ownership of their lives. Instead, they have been caught up in that group which was left behind because somewhere in life they failed to listen or accept the appropriate life lessons. Now, they are left with the mindset that any road will do because any road is better than no road at all.
It is never too late to start making appropriate choices in your life. I often suggest that it only takes a moment to change your thinking and your choices. For some, it takes a lifetime to get to that moment.
Consider the following examples and recommendations for knowing where you are going:
- For companies and leaders looking to increase productivity and profits, there needs to be a strategy developed that incorporates a very competitive marketing plan and projected outcomes.
- For the dating couple avoiding the long-term commitment, they need to make a choice in the immediate future as a response to the long-term commitment question.
- For the single parent giving their all to balance the demands of work and family life, there needs to be internal motivation that is persistent in assuring that failure is not an option.
- For families who need to better manage their finances, they need to collaborate and agree to budget counseling or develop an action plan before things get too far out of hand.
- For an entrepreneur who wants to leave a job to follow a dream of business ownership, he needs to make sure he has an action plan that will weather the storm and motivation that will stand the test of time.
- For the college graduate who has seen too many job rejections since graduation day, she must remain consistent in her efforts and remember the laws of both numbers and consistency. Stay faithful, focused and full of energy because something will happen in God’s time.
When you know exactly where you are going, and your mental plan speaks to that direction, you will never walk down that winding road that leads to just anywhere because you have a specific destination.
© 2012, Nicholas Dillon. All rights reserved.
Nicholas Dillon has over 15 years of education, training, and coaching experience in the academic and corporate arena. He also has formative experience providing group counseling and serving as a mentor in the Milwaukee community.
