American investor and businessman Joshua Kushner recently posted this on Twatter:

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the goal of life is to be excited to go to work and excited to go home

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This is in stark contrast to the four word answer which seems to be universal when anyone is asked how things are going.

It’s almost universal in the office anyway.

How’s work Bob?

Fine.

How’s things at home Sandra?

Fine.

How’s that work-life balance coming along Dave?

Fine.

I daresay “fine” is preferable to swimming in shit.

But as Joshua says, there’s much more on offer.

I wouldn’t call it a goal though.

Setting a goal to be excited to go to work and excited to go home again is like setting a goal to breathe or blink.

The whole premise of a goal is that it's something you don't have yet. Something off in the distance like a cheeky carrot dangling from a stick.

But excitement, aliveness and a spring in your step aren’t destinations to arrive at once you've ticked enough boxes or jumped through enough hoops. 

They're available right here, right now, regardless of whether your boss is a numpty or your commute involves three delayed trains and a replacement bus service.

Which begs the question:

If we can feel excited about work and home today, right now, without needing to change careers, move to a bigger house, get a fancy new job title or wait for the kids to swan off to university…

Then what on earth are we chasing and what does that make room for instead?

In my experience, one of the things it makes room for is a whole bunch of energy that was previously tied up in the chase. 

This is energy that suddenly becomes available for wonder, play, creativity, adventure, exploration and discovery.

Not to get more stuff or climb more ladders, but simply for the joy of it all.

If you’d like to turn the chase into something makes you grin:

https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com