08/24/26
STORY
Years ago, my wife Alex took a trip to Peru with her friends.
One of the main goals of the trip was to visit Machu Picchu (one of the New Seven Wonders of the World).
But rather than take a train to this incredible ancient citadel, they decided to hike 26 miles through the Classic Inca Trail.
The hike took 4 days, and the terrain had difficult stretches.
Alex and her two friends had to climb up steep parts of the trail and trek through descending hills that put immense pressure on their bodies.
They slept in tents and had to keep pace with a group that was on a strict timeline.
After 4 days, they reached Machu Picchu and took in the incredible sights.
When Alex came home, I asked her about Machu Picchu.
I’ve read so much about it, and I was eager to hear what it looked like in person.
To my surprise, Alex wasn’t interested in telling me about Machu Picchu.
She told me about the hike.
She shared how hard it was to hike down the hills without falling.
She explained how tired she was after a full day of hiking in the sun.
She talked about what it was like to share this experience with her friends.
When she talked about Machu Picchu, she said it was beautiful, but being at the ancient citadel was not the experience she treasured most.
It was the hike.
You have a “Machu Picchu” that you’re hiking towards right now.
I know you do.
You have a goal that you’re passionate about achieving.
There’s a destination that you are journeying towards, and you may have been on this journey for a long time now.
When you arrive…
I know it’s going to be a great moment for you…
And I also know this:
The journey to get there is what you’ll appreciate the most.
The hard work…
The determination…
The growth…
That’s what you’ll treasure.
So whenever you find yourself harping too much on the goal you’re after…
Remind yourself that the journey is what truly fulfills you.
You may forget the moment you reached the destination…
But you’ll always remember the journey you took to get there.
OBSERVATION
Psychologists Barbara Fredrickson and Daniel Kahneman discovered what’s known as the peak-end rule. The finding is that we don’t remember experiences based on their average or their duration. Instead, our memory locks onto two things: the moment of greatest emotional intensity, and how the experience ended. This is why Alex remembered the brutal descents, the exhaustion, the shared struggle with her friends, not just the arrival at Machu Picchu itself. The hardest moments of the journey weren’t just obstacles; they were, neurologically speaking, the most valued experience.
(Fredrickson, B. & Kahneman, D., “Duration Neglect in Retrospective Evaluations of Affective Episodes,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1993)
STRATEGY
Incorporate a daily practice this week of appreciating the journey that you’re on.
I’m not talking about a “gratitude journal” where you force yourself to write 10 things down on a piece of paper.
Each day, take inventory of where you are in the journey.
Reflect on the steps you took to get where you are today.
Get excited about the steps you’re about to take on your way to your destination.
Give yourself the opportunity to pause and truly appreciate where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going.
Rooting for you,
Jay (inviting you to appreciate how far you’ve come)
International Keynote Speaker
Host of the “Unstuck” podcast
Decent athlete who, at one time, could jump in the air and clap his feet three times before landing (please don’t ask me to do that now lol).