Does the Plan Still Serve the Purpose?

Some years ago, I began building a trailer. I imagined travelling, continuing my spiritual studies, and enjoying the freedom of 'life on the road'. That possibility made me eager to work on it.

But as the project progressed, I began to see the practical difficulties. The expense and daily logistics of travelling would leave less room for study than I had imagined. The peace and quiet of home ended up offering more of what I was actually looking for.

My enthusiasm for building faded. For a while, I felt embarrassed about leaving it unfinished. Looking back, I can see that the purpose had outgrown the plan. And the purpose WAS being achieved without the trailer.

We can put so much into a project that continuing begins to feel like an obligation. Before asking ourselves to push harder, it may help to ask: what did we hope this would give us?

Sometimes the project or plan still matters, and a small next step helps us continue. Sometimes the plan needs adjusting. Sometimes we discover that we want something different.

Meaningful work can still be difficult. Understanding why we are doing it gives us a better basis for deciding how to proceed.