Life doesn’t stop when we reach some of our goals. We have to set new ones to keep progressing.
Photo by BLAKE RICHARD VERDOORN
Young adulthood is full of life-changing decisions such as where to attend college, whom to marry, and what career to pursue. Once we’ve checked these items off our figurative to-do list, life is usually no longer measured by grades, dates, or interviews. All of a sudden, our purpose can get lost in day-to-day activities. What was once a time of excitement and adventure can then seem to be reduced to a standstill.
But life doesn’t have to be stagnant. In “Navigating the Currents of Life,” Mindy Anne Selu offers advice on how to live a life full of progress:
- Take the first steps forward: make life extraordinary with action
- Make an evaluation: be honest about which activities are taking the most time
- Decide on worthwhile goals: choose four or five things to improve in
- Make it happen: set realistic time frames
- Grab an oar, a paddle—anything: stay motivated with serious intentions
These five steps can help us see our lives with an eternal perspective. We were put on this earth to accomplish multiple purposes over a lifetime, not to finish a certain number of steps in our twenties. There will still be endless opportunities that can help us grow as we not only endure but also “enjoy” to the end. Learn a new hobby, spend time with friends, serve others, or dedicate more time to scriptural pursuits. Never give up on worthy causes because of failed attempts or discouragement. The Lord desires that we keep trying to attain joy as we continually progress toward him.
Read the full version of Mindy Anne Selu’s article to learn how you can keep progressing throughout your own life.
Source: Ensign
—BrookeAnn Henriksen, Mormon Insights
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Find more insights
For more ideas on how to continue making progress, watch or read Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin’s talk “Running Your Marathon.”
Read Elder Larry R. Lawrence’s general conference address “What Lack I Yet?” to learn from the Lord some of the ways you can improve your life.
To push through disappointment, read Jessica Staples’s Mormon Insights article “Failing on the Path to Perfection” about a devotional address given by BYU President Kevin J Worthen.
I really like the message of continuing motivation; it’s good to remember that there’s always something new to strive for.
I love this article. I am getting married in two weeks, and I’m excited to keep serving and growing with my husband by my side. We should not measure our success in life by how many to-dos we can accomplish but by our progress in becoming more like the Savior.
I’ve never had a problem finding things to work on or running out of goals to set; however, I do appreciate how this article emphasizes focusing on just a few at a time, and that we’re meant to accomplish multiple goals over a lifetime–not just in our twenties. Sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough because I can’t juggle all my life ambitions at once, but that’s just it; we’re not meant to do it all at once. We’ve got all our lives–and eternity–to develop ourselves.
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