Don’t Park on the Motorway of Life
- Brainz Magazine
- 9 hours ago
- 5 min read
She is a Career and Personal Development Coach with almost ten years of experience. Her expertise is in Job & workplace readiness, career planning, growth, and personal development. Her work focuses on helping individuals build their capacity for career progression, navigate job transitions with ease, and achieve personal effectiveness using results-oriented methods.
Something is always happening. And something will always happen. That’s the truth about life: there will never be a perfect, uninterrupted stretch of time when nothing stands in your way. Growth, success, and transformation are never a day’s work. They are the result of a consistent, often uncomfortable, journey.
Think about driving on a motorway. You wouldn’t pull over and park just because the road ahead looks long, or the scenery is nothing but bushes and endless tarmac. You know that parking in the middle of the motorway is dangerous. It exposes you to risk, delays your journey, and could cause an accident.
But in life, so many people do exactly that.
It’s easy to start with energy, enthusiasm, and big goals. But along the way, the reality of the journey sets in.
You feel the muscle ache of discipline.
You experience the headache of juggling responsibilities. You hit the traffic of delays, setbacks, and disappointments.
You face the constant pull of childcare, bills, and day-to-day adult responsibilities.
And somewhere along the road, you convince yourself that maybe now is a good time to “pause” to wait until things feel easier before continuing.
But here’s the truth: things rarely get easier. The same universe that works with you to manifest your goals also tests your resolve to see if you truly want them. It’s as though life whispers, “Are you serious about this? Prove it.”
When you stop on life’s motorway, the dangers are real. They may not look like a physical collision, but they have consequences that can last for years.
You could get robbed. When you stop, you make yourself vulnerable, not to thieves on the motorway, but to losing your own drive and confidence. You open the door for doubt, fear, and procrastination to steal your dreams.
You’ll pay a fine. In life, the fine for stopping isn’t a ticket; it’s wasted time and missed opportunities. Time moves on whether you do or not, and those moments you lose can never be recovered.
You become prone to accidents. When you lose momentum, it’s harder to start again. You become more vulnerable to self-doubt, discouragement, and distraction. Like a car stuck on the shoulder, you’re at risk of getting hit by life’s setbacks.
You waste precious time. Every pause delays your destination. While you’re parked, others are still moving forward, and the gap between where you are and where you could be gets wider.
You carry regret, perhaps the heaviest consequence of all. You’ll always wonder, “What if I’d just kept going?” That question can haunt you far longer than the discomfort of staying in motion.
Many people tell themselves they’re just waiting for the “right time” to keep going. But here’s the reality: there is no perfect time.
Life will always be busy. There will always be a bill to pay, a crisis to handle, a child to care for, a job to work, a body to look after. You cannot wait for life to be calm to move forward. You have to move with the chaos.
And yes, this is hard. But so is regret. So is starting over. So is watching someone else live the dream you gave up on because you stopped too soon.
Driving through the storm
Think of your life like a long drive. The weather may change. Some stretches will be sunny and smooth. Others will be stormy, windy, and uncomfortable. You’ll get tired. You’ll get frustrated. You’ll question whether you even want to reach the destination anymore.
But the people who make it to their goals are the ones who keep going through the storm. They don’t just drive when it’s convenient; they drive because they know what’s waiting for them at the end.
And here’s the thing: the journey will shape you just as much as the destination will. Driving through life’s storms builds resilience, focus, and patience, the very qualities you’ll need to handle success when it comes.
The universe will test you
When you set a goal, you’re not just making a wish. You’re making a commitment, one that the universe will hold you accountable for.
The moment you declare, “I want this,” life begins to arrange the circumstances that will prepare you for it. But part of that preparation is resistance. You’ll face distractions, delays, and discouragement that make you question whether it’s worth it.
This isn’t the universe trying to punish you. It’s the universe refining you. It’s asking: “Are you ready for what you’re asking for?”
The cost of parking vs. the cost of driving
When you feel like stopping, it’s important to compare the cost of parking with the cost of driving.
Parking costs: lost time, lost opportunities, regret, momentum gone, self-doubt increased.
Driving costs: discomfort, fatigue, discipline, patience, pushing past fear.
Both have a cost. But only one brings you closer to where you want to be.
Practical ways to keep driving
Focus on the next milestone, not the entire trip.
Take short, intentional breaks, but keep your engine running.
Spend time with people who are also on the move and will encourage you to keep going.
Write it down, visualise it, speak it daily.
Know that challenges will come, and prepare to push through them.
Even if you park, time doesn’t. The cars will keep passing you. The opportunities will keep moving. The world won’t wait for you to feel ready again.
You don’t have to have it all figured out to keep driving. You just need to stay in motion. Slow progress is still progress.
The journey may not always be beautiful. You may get tired of the view. But remember: the destination will make sense of the road.
So don’t park. Don’t stop. Keep driving because your future self is already waiting at the exit ahead.
Read more from Esther Aluko
Esther Aluko, Career & Personal Development Coach
She is a Career and Personal Development Coach with almost ten years of experience. Her expertise is in Job & workplace readiness, career planning, growth, and personal development. Her work focuses on helping individuals build their capacity for career progression, navigate job transitions with ease, and achieve personal effectiveness using results-oriented methods. Her speaking engagements span the United Kingdom, Belgium, West Africa, and Ireland with corporate organizations and higher education institutions.
