Last spring I had the privilege of running in a different place. Not a new place, just an adorable town in our area that I’ve run countless times in my life. What made it special this time is that lately I don’t run too far from home. As in, I literally start almost every run right outside my front door. Because, #momlife, I usually steal away in the early morning hours, before my babies wake up and while my husband is home. So this was an absolute treat to drive somewhere different and get in a run.

I had an appointment in the village and had to drive there anyway. So I decided to get there early and enjoy a stress relieving, invigorating run in said beautiful setting. Two for one. I had to plan my timing well, though. I had a specific amount of time and, as usual had squeezed in extra hugs and kisses for my kids, so I had shaved more minutes off of my available time. I really did want those kisses, but now that I was out the door, I wanted to make the most of all of it.

I must not have had a GPS watch with me, because I decided to mark out the distance as I drove closer to parking spot and pick a landmark. Then I’d run to that location and back, keeping an eye on my phones clock, and then I’d know I’d made the absolute most of my time.

I drove down the street, enjoying the views, and I picked the most luxurious magnolia tree that was in full bloom, as my destination. I love love those trees, and when they bloom here, their magnificence is captivating and lasts for about a week, if you’re lucky. I know the area well and could gauge the distance to my starting point well, but I reset the odometer to be sure.

When I arrived to what became my starting line, I knew where I was headed, how long of a distance it was, and how much time I had to get there. In other words, I had a goal to guide my run. And I chose that specific spot not only because it made sense to try to achieve it, but because it was a beautiful benchmark and it excited me.

I started my mental stopwatch and ran north, toward my magnolia. I enjoyed every step of freedom on a different, yet familiar, road. My mind was so desperate that day for a change from routine, for this breathing space. It was a reset kind of morning that every momma needs. No matter how much you love your babies, sometimes you need a little fresh air and thinking space, whatever it looks like for you.

So I ran, and I kept checking the time. I had to be on time for my appointment, so every minute counted. In my usual style, I was trying to suck the marrow out of every available second. I was trying to get to that turn around magnolia at the halfway mark and then head back. I really wanted to reach that magnolia, to see up close the bounty of petals that hang on the branches, to maybe catch a whiff of its fragrance.

As I chased down that goal, I began to doubt that I could make it there. Some days my pace it easy and quick, others it’s slower. That day it was somewhere in between, and still definitely falling a bit below what I thought I could do that day when I set that magnolia goal.

Does that ever happen to you, in life, or running or in dream chasing? You think you’ll be capable of reaching your goal and covering a certain distance in a certain amount of time with a certain speed. Then, as you’re on the road, hoofing and hashing it out toward the goal, for one reason or another, you find that you aren’t as swift as you thought you’d be. You find some difficulties, maybe some hills. Your breathing is heavier, your legs less springy. More effort is required than you begin to think that you have to give. You start to doubt if you can even get there.

That happens to me quite a lot. While I chase down my big dreams, or even trying to get out the door on time on a normal day. Even on random runs like this one. My best effort falls a little short of my perceived capabilities and my intended effort. I find myself falling behind. Then the question becomes now what?

As I ran, I had some choices. If I might not make my goal, should I slow down? Should I just take the foot off the gas a bit and readjust my goal? If I can’t make it to that glorious tree, should I play it safe and head back towards my commitment that’s set in stone, my appointment? Should my sense of responsibility cause or allow me to abandon that goal? At what point do I turn around?

I contemplated all of this, I decided I’d run a little further, as far as I possibly could, time allowing, down to the second, before abandoning ship and turning around. But I decided, also, to stop worrying about it so much. Because I remembered my main goal. My main goal was TO ENJOY myself, to appreciate the specialness of this run and to see all of the beauty I could see on this path. I didn’t just come here for the end goal of the magnolia tree. I set that to give myself some framework, but it wasn’t my main goal. It was a benchmark. My main goal WAS the run itself.

“Stop worrying so much about that magnolia mile marker, Coco. Look around and enjoy this beautiful journey. It’s what you came here for, anyway,” I told myself.

Well that’s when I saw it. So quickly after I forgot about focusing solely on the end goal was when I actually found what I was looking for. Another magnolia tree, smaller perhaps, but no less beautiful, was sanding there, almost waiting for me to notice it. And I had almost missed it. Because I was so focused on the end goal, I almost missed the spirit of the goal.

Do you ever do that? Miss what’s right front of you, which looks a whole lot like what you’re chasing, just because you’re chasing something further down the road?! I wanted to see the beauty around me and enjoy every possible second of this special run. It was never about the end goal, it was about the journey. Once I stopped overly intensely focusing on the end goal, I could see that I was, in a sense, already accomplishing it. Don’t miss the magnolia right next to you because you’re chasing one that’s down the street.

Don’t chase down next year’s goal so hard that you forget to notice the parts of it that area already around you.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with my kids. It was a gorgeous, warm, easy kind of fall day, full of nothing but sunshine and time. I kept looking around me, realizing that in those moments, I was actually already living a part of my big dreams. That afternoon was a stop along the way, and also, it was (and is) the goal.

Let me encourage you not to miss the gift of this day, this afternoon- with your kids or your family, your workout or your experience- just because you’re thinking so much about the end goal. Don’t forget to look around you sometimes and notice the blessings and the dreams that are already unfolding themselves around you. The places, the moments, the magnolia trees, that are already gracing your journey with joy, your life with beauty, Take your foot off the gas for a minute, change your goals if you need to. But never ever stop noticing the things that you’re looking for that are all around you.

You know what’s so awesome? When I stopped worrying about that end goal for a while, and started enjoying the journey, I lost track of the time and stopped worrying about the effort so much. I forgot to look at the clock for a while. I enjoyed the run again. And then, after some time had passed, I suddenly realized that I was now actually steps away from my “goal”. Just ahead was that magnolia turn around. I laughed. Hello, friend. I wasn’t sure I’d see you this way. And here you are after all. I laughed, realizing that I was both reaching the goals, and living my dreams, one magnolia tree at a time.

So the next time you feel weary, or wonder if your goal is actually attainable, I’d encourage you to look around and see what is already around you on this journey. Are there actually little pieces of your dream unfolding right before your eyes? Sometimes you might need to take your foot off the gas, take your mind off the goal for just a while. See if there’s anything you should be noticing. The act of relaxing, forgetting the effort for a while, might help you see things better. There probably is something or someone right in front of you that you don’t want to miss. It might even help you accomplish your goal after all. You may end up adjusting it, or tweaking it too, and that’s okay. Because, really it’s never just about the goal. It’s about the journey and what we find, both inside and all around us, as we venture along the path.