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juldeaFear me and my analogies.
5 years ago, I wanted to date Nick Burnett. He was everything great and perfect to me (most of the time). ;) I planned my future life so that it included him in it, because that's what I desired.
After a while, we no longer desired to share our future lives in that way. We decided to break apart, and search for other people with whom to do that.
That doesn't make the time we spent together meaningless or a waste. It was good and happy at the time. It worked us towards the goal we wanted. The goal ended up changing, but that doesn't affect that time we had.
I've found a new person to want to share my future with, and I'm working towards that goal now. I'm not continuing to work towards spending my life with Nick - I don't want that. Why would I spend my time working on a goal I'm not interested in? THAT is wasting time.
Now, maybe ending up marrying Nick would solve some other goal. A goal for financial stability, maybe. But is not marrying him working against that other goal? Maybe making it a bit harder, yeah, but not hindering it. I'll just have to work a bit harder at it, go about it a different way.
So, the whole point here: replace Nick with "a college degree" (and obviously marriage = graduating with said degree).
Should I continue to waste my time working towards a goal I no longer want, only because it ensures an easier path to another goal I'm interested in the future? Or should I ditch this old unwanted goal and quit wasting my time on it now, with the knowledge that it will make my other future goal more difficult?
5 years ago, I wanted to date Nick Burnett. He was everything great and perfect to me (most of the time). ;) I planned my future life so that it included him in it, because that's what I desired.
After a while, we no longer desired to share our future lives in that way. We decided to break apart, and search for other people with whom to do that.
That doesn't make the time we spent together meaningless or a waste. It was good and happy at the time. It worked us towards the goal we wanted. The goal ended up changing, but that doesn't affect that time we had.
I've found a new person to want to share my future with, and I'm working towards that goal now. I'm not continuing to work towards spending my life with Nick - I don't want that. Why would I spend my time working on a goal I'm not interested in? THAT is wasting time.
Now, maybe ending up marrying Nick would solve some other goal. A goal for financial stability, maybe. But is not marrying him working against that other goal? Maybe making it a bit harder, yeah, but not hindering it. I'll just have to work a bit harder at it, go about it a different way.
So, the whole point here: replace Nick with "a college degree" (and obviously marriage = graduating with said degree).
Should I continue to waste my time working towards a goal I no longer want, only because it ensures an easier path to another goal I'm interested in the future? Or should I ditch this old unwanted goal and quit wasting my time on it now, with the knowledge that it will make my other future goal more difficult?