"It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters, in the end." Ursula K. LeGuin.

I pulled this quote from a book of meditations as it got me to thinking about our obsession with goal-setting. I won't try to paraphrase as the author does such a great job of explaining what I've so often felt:

"Our goals lend direction to our lives. Without them we flounder, often uncertain of who we are. They provide substance for our self-definition and they motivate us, at times even deeply exhilarate us. Nevertheless, it's the many steps, the myriad activities, the unexpected barriers along the daily journey that give real meaning to our lives. We are so much more than our completed achievements, and the process is what develops the person within. 

It's far too easy for most of us to miss the moment and its richness because our sights are on a particular journey's end. How often do we fail to appreciate the many occasions for feeling satisfaction over a task well done? We seldom grasp the full joy of living because our sights are glued to the future. 

It is a hard but easily forgotten lesson that a goal completed is always followed by a letdown. The joy resides in the process."

This is why it is so important to understand one's strengths - because it's the application thereof that makes the steps so much more palatable and memorable. In seeking the end goal, the route one chooses to take makes all the difference. 

How are you choosing to use your strengths in pursuit of your goals?