The journey to trading in impressive for important

​It's a tough journey. This journey to discovering that what is impressive doesn't always - or often - look and feel like what is important.

What is impressive often comes with more applause, but what you discover on the journey - impressive is very often less rewarding.

I've been a part of an online running team for several years. Between us we all try to run the year. This year we are combining our efforts to run 2022 miles. At the end of every month, our captain reaches out and says, it's time folks - how many miles?

During the summer of 2020, my answers were over 300 miles. For a couple of years my answers were always well over 100. Since last summer, though, my answers have been much less than that.

Now - I assure you, my team has responded with nothing but cheers. #Teamtangent is the best. But, being honest, my answers leave me on the edge of feeling less than impressed with myself lately.

I suppose because in many ways and for many reasons, I've spent a lifetime chasing impressive. I've had a need to hear the crowd cheer.

But the reality is, in many ways, I haven't reached a point in my life where I've traded in running for fatherhood and writing. I am trying to trade in impressive for important. Cheers for fulfillment.

I don't have many regrets about this journey I'm on. When you're chasing the cheers, you get a determination about you. You'll stop at nothing. Well I'm finding chasing what is important - there's a different kind of determination - it's a little more unbreakable.

I already had the chase in me - refocusing it has been the journey. Wisdom has been the refocusing.

I have a favorite OLD rock song. Limelight, by The Alan Parsons Project. It's the story of a musician who spent his whole life dreaming of the lights and the crowds. Only to discover once he got there, what he really wanted to do was use the limelight to make a difference in the world.

Not an easy role, he says. The prize is small. But after all the years of waiting - he has a chance to show them all.

***

Limelight you were all I ever wanted
Since it all began
Limelight shining on me
Telling the world who I am
Limelight don't let me slip right through your fingers
There's a long way to fall
After the years of waiting
I'm gonna show them all

I can see the world in a different light
Now it's easy to say
Where I went wrong
What I did right

I can hear the beat of a different drum
Take it all in my stride
Hold my head high
Second to none

Holding on wasn't always easy
Nothing can change my mind

Maybe the role's not easy, maybe the prize is small
After all the years of waiting, I'm gonna show them all

***

I think there are a lot of people out there doing really important things in really impressive ways.

I've found - in my life anyways - it's the order that matters.

If we use impressive as a way to be important, that quite frankly ends up being depressive.

But if we chase important, without ever paying consideration to impressive, in many ways we become the most impressive versions of ourselves ever.

So chase important.

Hold your head high - second to none.

And just go chase important.