I’ve been in my position long enough to know how the rhythm of the year goes. Once the temperature outside starts to drop, so does the amount of spare time I have on my schedule. Between big events, seasonal changes, fundraisers, special services, holidays, and everything else going on, the last few months of the year are always the busiest on my calendar. Maybe you can relate.

As you might expect, this busyness can take a bit of a toll on my mental state. Stress is a natural side-effect of having so much going on. And I’ve noticed that during these seasons, I get into a pattern of telling myself, “Once the first of the year comes and things calm down, then it’ll be better.”

This honestly becomes a sort of mantra for me. When I’m feeling particularly overloaded or just not looking forward to the next thing on my agenda, I remind myself that this time will pass, and it calms me down. Keeps me focused. Reminds me that I won’t always feels this way. In short, it helps get me through.

But is that really all I want? To get through this busy time of year? While that may be better than breaking down and falling behind, it doesn’t seem like I should be striving just to get by. To be honest, I want more than that for myself.

I want to thrive in every phase of life, including the ones that might be a little more stressful. And in order to do that, I have to adopt a different kind of attitude than the one that’s worked for me in the past—a better attitude concerning my present circumstances. That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do lately.

Instead of looking forward to a time when things are different, I’m instead asking myself, “What can I do to make the most out of the situation I’m in right now?” There is opportunity for learning, growth, and fulfillment even in the midst of pressure and discomfort, but I’ll never find it if I’m only focused on moving on to the next thing

Contentment isn’t found in moving on to some future next step. It can be found right here, right now. And it doesn’t require everything to be perfect; it only requires that I adopt the right attitude and the right approach to the situation I’m in.

The truth is that no phase of life is perfect. So if I’m constantly waiting for the next phase to come and be exactly the way I want it to be, then I’ll always be disappointed. I’ll always be waiting. And that’s not how I want to live my life.

I imagine that’s not how you want to live, either. It’s so natural for us to convince ourselves that if only things will change or if only we’ll wait long enough, our lives will eventually be perfect, and then we’ll be happy. But that’s simply not how it goes.

If we want to find contentment, if we want to grow, if we want to see progress, then we have to start making those things happen here and now. We can’t keep waiting, because the perfect time will never come. The present is the only time we have, and if we choose the right attitude now, we can find everything we need right where we are.

Life isn’t about getting to the next destination; life is about enjoying the journey and making the most of it. That’s what I’m trying to do in this season, and I’d encourage you to do the same.

Maybe you’re really enjoying where you are in life. If so, that’s great! That joy can motivate you to further growth and fulfillment. But even if your life isn’t exactly the way you want it to be right now, you can still find contentment and opportunities where you are.

Who knows? Once you start enjoying the journey, you might just find yourself moving in the direction you want to go. That’s been my experience in the past, and I’m choosing to press on believing it’ll come through for me again in this season. Why don’t you join me and give enjoying the ride a try?