“Let all your efforts be directed to something, let it keep that end in view. It’s not activity that disturbs people, but false conceptions of things that drive them mad.”

Seneca, On Tranquility of Mind.

Having an end goal in mind is important not only for the direction it gives you – towards a positive outcome that you actually want and that motivates you to take action – but also for the opportunity it gives you to view objectively the potential obstacles and setbacks you might encounter on the way. Without an end goal, how will you know what to do each day?

Even when facing challenging tasks, such as conquering fear of heights when climbing on a via ferrata route with its vertical ladders bolted into the mountainside, knowing where your next step will take you helps bring some peace of mind.