Don’t Forget To Stop And Smell The Roses

Recently I had a moment of clarity and the much needed realisation that I’d been putting more pressure on myself than was probably necessary.

It had been an intense period for work, which isn’t unusual in itself. If anything, I think it was more down to the fact I’ve been on a sustained run without a break. Alongside the standard work pressures there’s also balancing everything else from finances through to fitness and continued development.

After a particularly draining day I headed out for my normal end of day run, feeling mentally maxed out to the point I just wanted to listen to music and clear my head rather than catch up on my regular podcasts.

I stuck on the Man of Steel soundtrack and let my legs go.

Within a few miles my mind started to settle, deconstructing the noise and finding connections between the threads. In doing so it gave me the much needed moment of clarity.

Long ago I made the decision that I wanted to be financially free at a relatively early age. Not tied to a job, a boss or a situation I didn’t want to be in and not destined to work my whole life away until a retirement age that seems to keep extending out generation by generation. Especially during my early adult years there were ups and downs, however it’s definitely felt over the past few years that a lot of the hard work upfront is starting to pay off.

Whilst I’m far from where I ultimately want to be, I’m also far ahead of where I probably expected to be only a few years ago.

I know this is a cyclical pattern I tend to fall into. Pushing for the next big leap forwards, achieving mini milestones, giving myself a brief pat on the back, then getting straight back at it again.

The problem is the balance of the scales is completely out of whack. They lean too heavy in the highly pressurised work state compared to the state of satisfaction and enjoyment by a ratio of probably 80 to 20.

My grandad spent a lot of his time holidaying in Spain and used to commonly use the term ‘Mañana, Mañana’ or ‘Tomorrow, Tomorrow’ in English. I realise that’s how I’ve been treating my pursuit of professional and financial freedom. Progress is made, but the ultimate milestone and moment to enjoy it is continually deferred to tomorrow.

I know many people face the same challenge, constantly feeling like they’re on the verge of arriving without ever quite getting there. Always progressing, always improving, but never quite allowing themselves to acknowledge how far they’ve already come.

Taking time to reflect more deeply, I’ve realised a few things. Firstly, I’ve managed to build a life that allows for a relatively strong degree of flexibility and autonomy. I typically work from home, determining when the best and most effective time is to go into the office or client sites. I’m not bound by strict rules nor do I have to seek or ask permission as to how I operate. On the finances front I’ve reached a level of stability that removes the immediate pressure many people live under day to day and allows for living a relatively comfortable life.

If you asked me a decade ago whether I’d be happy in this position, the answer would have no doubt been yes.

As can often be the case though if you’re not careful you can start taking for granted that which you have in favour of that which you want.

When the focus is on earning more, improving finances, and optimising everything possible, life can start to feel like something you’re working towards rather than something you’re actively living.

Every decision gets framed through the lens of future benefit. Time becomes something to allocate efficiently, rest starts to feel unproductive, and enjoyment becomes conditional. Something you’ll allow yourself only once certain milestones are hit.

You end up chasing an elusive version of freedom without realising you’re already holding parts of it in your hands.

Freedom isn’t a binary state where you either have it or you don’t, and it isn’t something that only exists at the end of a long road. It shows up in different ways at different stages of life.

The problem is if you don’t stop to smell the roses, the pleasures you take from these moments can be fleeting and end up passing you by.

Maybe it’s time with your girlfriend, wife, or family, where you’re fully present. Maybe it’s taking a holiday or weekend away without feeling like you should be doing something else. Maybe it’s just stepping back, looking at your current situation and realising how far you’ve already come.

Life is unlikely to ever feel fully sorted or be at a point where everything aligns perfectly and all the boxes ticked off.

So, it’s worth asking the question.

What are you actually chasing?

And at what point will it be enough?

If the answer is always “just a bit more” or “another year or two,” you might already be closer than you think.

This isn’t a suggestion to stop striving, wanting more or pushing forward.

Just don’t forget to stop and smell the roses along the way because part of the joy of this journey is in the pursuit, not just the destination.