Unlocking Motivation and Meaning: Unusual Insights from Logotherapy and the Pursuit of Life Goals

You probably know this feeling: the harder you chase after your ambitions, the more you feel you’re running on a treadmill that someone else set to “marathon.” Goals keep multiplying, your “to-do” list breaks all known laws of physics, and even victories seem to shrink before you can celebrate. But the joke life’s playing on us is cruel and strangely funny—because the faster we run, the less we notice where we actually are. Each milestone is supposed to feel amazing, but instead, you’re left wondering why the finish line tastes suspiciously like yesterday’s leftovers.

Everyone around you—family, colleagues, the infinite scroll of social media—insists you’ve got to be better, faster, richer, funnier, healthier, and don’t you dare sit still. But chasing everyone else’s highlight reel is like eating only birthday cake crumbs and calling it a meal: not very satisfying, not very nutritious, and definitely a recipe for indigestion. There's pressure to treat every moment like an audition, but inside, it’s easy to feel like you’re never really enough. You’re supposed to be climbing Everest, but now it’s just cold, and your metaphorical flip-flops aren’t holding up.

But let’s stop and be honest. You don’t really want your life to be one endless waiting room where “real happiness” is always a ticket number away, do you? Because the real trap here is giving up joy now for a mythical “someday,” all while anxiety quietly moves in and redecorates. If your only reward for working harder is more work, then that “celebration” you’re waiting for might never come…and you’ll barely remember the trip at all. You could impress everyone by achieving record profits or running marathons with your hair on fire, but if you never notice the sunrise along the way, was the hustle really worth it? (Spoiler: future-you will probably vote ‘no,’ especially if you sacrificed your toes – and your peace of mind – on the climb.)

But here’s the twist: you can actually step off the hamster wheel right now. I see that you might still feel skeptical—“But don’t I need to be striving, planning, and proving myself every second?”—yet there’s more to living than ticking boxes. Because the present moment? That’s really all you have. If you’re always living for tomorrow, you’ll wake up someday realizing today went missing.

So, here’s the plan: start with three brave acts. Change your strategy (learn from those who’ve been up the mountain before, and take massive, smart action, not frantic sprints). Change the story you tell yourself (from “never enough” to “I am exactly where I need to be, and it’s good”). Most of all, change your state—let yourself actually feel the tiny joys now, not just at some imaginary summit.

Because meaningful success doesn’t demand you grind yourself into sawdust. It asks you to savor what’s in front of you—rest, nourishment, a quiet cup of tea in a dollhouse with your kid, or simply a mindful meal. Want to remember the best parts of your life? They’re the moments when you were truly present, not the ones lost in another impossible future.

Don’t let fear of missing out on “more” cost you the happiness you can only find “here”—because that’s where real joy hides out and where life actually unfolds. Picture a future where you’re not just collecting gold stars, but actually feeling alive. Isn’t that what you really want?

The rally cry is clear: it’s time to reclaim the present moment. Don’t let the promise of tomorrow steal today’s simple, underrated brilliance. Let yourself enjoy the journey, breathe deeply, and leave space for awe. Because the future will wait—but your life right now, in its messy, human, wonderful now-ness, absolutely will not.

So take your next step toward those big dreams—but don’t forget to look around, smile, and breathe. Otherwise, the only thing you’ll find at the top is a stunning view of everything you missed on the way up.