In a world that runs on deadlines and targets, and an unrelenting pursuit of success, it can get very easy to fixate on the goal to be reached as the be-all and end-all of life. Since our childhood, we have been programmed to believe that milestones in life related to schooling, a good pay, owning a house, or a leadership position are markers of success.
These destinations are always temporary, though. It is not the satisfaction at the very moment one achieves a certain goal that is the real fulfilment; it is in the actual journey of constant improvement. Life is an evolving process-a process of becoming, not just crossing finish lines.
The Journey Is as Important as the Destination As put by the great Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, “The moment you have a goal, a fixed point, you cease to grow. Life is a movement, a constant, restless, ever-expanding process.” The words of Krishnamurti bring us to an important realization that an unwavering orientation toward end results places a limitation on our growth. Where there is movement in life-a constant process of learning, adaptation, and self-improvement-there opens up an avenue for deeper fulfilment.
Consider Mahatma Gandhi, who invested his life in the Indian independence cause. Although his goal was to free India from British rule, it was not that goal but rather his journey of self-purification, non-violence, and constant learning that defined his life. Satyagraha, or the relentless pursuit of truth, as employed by Gandhi, was not an insurgent political tactic but a personal philosophy of continuous self-improvement against which one weighed one’s thoughts and actions.
His life is proof that in any form of goal, personal growth, accompanying the journey itself, is usually the real reward.
The Perfection Myth
Perfection in continuous improvement is just a myth. That is the belief of Japanese culture with the concept of kaizen, a practice of incremental improvement applied in personal and professional life. Kaizen itself does not expect perfection to come overnight but rather urges individuals and organizations to make small improvements continuously over time. This fulfils the backbone of successful companies, such as Toyota in Japan, which continuously refines its processes rather than focuses on an ultimate “perfect” state. Kaizen is a metaphor for life. Whether through personal relationships, careers, or individual talents, there is always room to improve. Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” The wisdom of these words means life is not intended to be perfect; it’s about being better than we were yesterday.
The Power of Resilience and Growth
At the heart of continuous improvement stands resilience, or the ability to get up after a setback and to use failure as stepping stones for growth. Each pursuit undertaken has a share of its failure, but improvement comes from those very failures that lessons are derived from.
Think of the miraculous journey of Ratan Tata within an Indian context. Despite facing huge setbacks in his early days as chairman-from the infamous Nano car project which miserably failed commercially to the numerous others-Tata never allowed these to define him or his vision. Rather, he learned valuable lessons from them and applied the same to fine-tune his strategy with each passing day. Today, Tata Group is among the most respected conglomerates in the world and a standing testimony to the underlying values of resilience and continuous improvement over fixation with a single outcome.
Enjoy the Process, Not the Prize
The modern world puts enormous pressure on people to achieve a certain result. Now, what happens when you’ve reached the goal? Most often, there is a temporary high, followed by a sensation of “What next?” If life is about reaching goals, then the time between reaching goals will appear blank or unsatisfactory. This is an important reason to enjoy the means, as well as the end.
Think of Indian cricketing genius Sachin Tendulkar. His career was not about winning just that one World Cup or creating a particular record but about those hours of toil, practice, and improvement over twenty years. The love Tendulkar has for the game itself, getting better day by day, and learning something from each match was what sustained him throughout his illustrious career. He said once, “I am not thinking too far ahead, just want to take it one thing at a time.” It is this focus on the present moment, on incremental improvement that has kept him at his best for such a long period of time.
Growth Is Lifelong
Regarding the Chinese bamboo tree, there is a well-known parable. When the seed of this tree is planted, it takes five years of watering and nurturing for the bamboo to break through the ground. Ingeniously, it then shoots up to 90 feet in six weeks. What happens during those years-leading up-is just underground, constant work that is necessary for great growth to occur. It is such a powerful metaphor for life: sometimes in life, you do not see quick results from what you put into something, but with patience and resolve, growth surely appears. This parable keeps reminding us that sometimes improvement is gradual and not easily seen on the surface, yet it’s building up underneath. Be it emotional intelligence, development of new skills, or investments in relationships, at times growth may be very slow and not perceptible and then suddenly obvious dramatic changes are noticed.
Conclusion: Keep Evolving
Life is not a competition towards a certain endpoint but a continuous integration into the evolutionary best creation of one’s self. Indeed, it is what the Bhagavad Gita- that ancient Indian text-says: “You have the right to perform your duty, but not the right to the fruits of your labour.” Indeed, this timeless wisdom has told us to focus on the effort and growth instead of the outcome. After all, it is in the little things we do each day to polish our thoughts, enhance our skills, and nurture our relationships that shape our life. As we work our way toward being better, let this be a reminder that fulfilment does not come with a single milestone but with the growth and journey to an improved self. Continuous improvement, indeed, is the secret to the well-lived life.
Learn more about how to become a Top Performer at: ORL Leadership Summit 2024.
Dr. Prahlada N.B
MBBS (JJMMC), MS (PGIMER, Chandigarh).
MBA (BITS, Pilani), MHA,
Executive Programme in Strategic Management (IIM, Lucknow)
Senior Management Programme in Healthcare Management (IIM, Kozhikode)
Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Leadership and Innovation (MIT, USA)
Advanced Certificate in AI for Digital Health and Imaging Program (IISc, Bengaluru).
Senior Professor and former Head,
Department of ENT-Head & Neck Surgery, Skull Base Surgery, Cochlear Implant Surgery.
Basaveshwara Medical College & Hospital, Chitradurga, Karnataka, India.
My Vision: I don’t want to be a genius. I want to be a person with a bundle of experience.
My Mission: Help others achieve their life’s objectives in my presence or absence!
My Values: Creating value for others.
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A wise perspective
Prahlada Sir 👌,
"Life is about continuous improvement, not just reaching the goal" ;
This statement emphasizes the importance of:
1. Progress over perfection
2. Journey over destination
3. Growth mindset
4. Self-refinement
5. Resilience
This mindset helps one to :
1. Appreciate small wins
2. Learn from failures
3. Stay motivated
4. Adapt to changes
5. Find joy in the process
So continuous improvement involves:
1. Reflecting on experiences
2. Setting new challenges
3. Embracing feedback
4. Practicing self-care
5. Cultivating gratitude
Some beautiful Inspiring quotes to reinforce this mindset are :
1. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." – Lao Tzu
2. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." – Winston Churchill
3. "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." – Zig Ziglar
Therefore one should always remember, life's beauty lies in the journey, not just the destination.
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