Two Problems with “Are We There Yet?”

Traveling on a road trip, someone from the backseat says in a complaining tone, “Are we there yet?” Perhaps you’ve witnessed this sort of scene before. Perhaps the someone saying, “Are we there yet?” was you. While this phrase is frequently heard during road trips, the attitude it encapsulates is common in many other parts of life as well. We often look to find satisfaction in the completion of the work at hand rather than along the way. In the Optimal Work Masterclass, Dr. Majeres identifies two distinct problems with this mindset. 

First, by adopting this view, you train yourself to believe that you will be happy only when the work is finished. A potential consequence of this narrative is that what you are doing at the moment is not enjoyable. And so, travelers aren’t happy until they’ve arrived at their destination, workers aren’t happy until the weekend, and students aren’t happy until they’ve graduated. As a result, trips are boring, work is drudgery, and school sucks. 

The second problem is related to the first. If we look for happiness on the other side of a task, then we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to grow in our ability to be fulfilled by the task itself. In contrast, we can choose to engage with the present moment as the source of our enjoyment. We can learn to love road trips, our work, and our studies.    

This week I invite you to reflect on the following: 

What parts of my life am I relating to with an “Are we there yet?” attitude? In what way might I reframe the journey itself in order to find greater joy and fulfillment along the way? 

God Bless,
Dan