On the journey then, at a milestone now

Many sayings have value when we engage with them and interpret them for ourselves. “The journey is the destination”, one of the best-known sayings attributed to Confucius, can mean that we should act on challenges rather than merely plan or talk them to death.

But is the journey really the destination? Or is the destination the destination?

Almost exactly six years ago, on 2 February 2013, I arrived at the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen. It was 7 p.m. and pouring with rain. Behind me were 1,002 kilometres through snow, cold, wind and rain. Standing there with my wife and father, I was physically and mentally exhausted. My own Forrest Gump: “I’m tired. Very tired. I think I’ll go home now…”

At the destination? It has taken six years to truly understand that apparently simple saying, “The journey is the destination”.

I had run from Wiener Neustadt through five countries to a European IT conference in Copenhagen, bringing the slogan “My work is where I am” to life. Mostly I used major roads, where thousands of lorry drivers probably cursed the runner with a powerful headlamp suddenly approaching in their lane through heavy snow. Looking back, planning with Google Maps alone was inadequate, but my stubbornness compensated. I overcame all sorts of challenges, yet reaching the destination brought no happiness. Instead, I felt empty.

I knew persistence had carried me those 1,002 kilometres. I did not realise that its true meaning would emerge six years later, as I continued the journey I had begun then.

For years, I reflected on my run across Europe. Only now have I found an explanation that makes sense to me. I wanted to convey a vision, bring it to life and make it public. I wanted to:

• Connect technology with emotion
• Challenge stereotypes of IT nerds and consultants focused only on maximising profit
• Make entrepreneurship attractive again

In effect, I was storytelling before the time was right. I did not work particularly hard to promote the run afterwards. Rather naively, I assumed that would happen by itself. It did not.

Today, everyone talks about storytelling. My vision has become #lifeworktrailbalance. The journey really is the destination. I want to reveal my motivations and share experiences and insights. I would be glad if that occasionally helped or inspired a reader.

I achieved my goal of speaking to 2,000 people at the conference after 20 days…

…but only understood the real goal six years later: “I want to challenge the cliché that businesses exist to generate revenue, and make entrepreneurship attractive again through #lifeworktrailbalance!”

Reaching a statue in Copenhagen was not the fulfilment. In hindsight, it was the journey and its lessons. The 1,002 kilometres of 2013 symbolise my company philosophy: our goal is to help customers successfully reach theirs. Stefan Merath captures this well in “Dein Wille geschehe”:

The point is to achieve the goals of customers and future customers because we care about them, rather than because it brings more profit. To keep doing that, and do it better in the future, we must charge for it. Money becomes a means to achieve the real goal: customer benefit.

The journey is the destination. For me, both are #worklifetrailbalance. It makes sense. It is simply smarter.

What are yours?