What is a treasure hunter without a treasure map?
Lost.
What is an academic without a discipline?
Lonely.
What is a routine without a purpose?
Prison.
In the words of Seneca the Younger — an Italian enslaver 2,000 years ago — “If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favourable.”
Without a port, a destination, a goal to focus on, we are doomed to battle the storms on the high seas forever.
Without direction, we are at the whim of every gust and squall; none can help us on our journey.
We will struggle against them all, with never a breath of wind in our favour.
Even if it seems impossible, even if we’re not sure what awaits us there, we should pick a port so we can hoist the sails with purpose.
Then, only time stands between us and our arrival.
And we have at least a small chance of catching a lucky wind.