Where does this Greg Anderson quote come from?

Question

I see various people attribute the quote, "Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it" to Greg Anderson. However, I haven't been able to find where he actually said it. Does anybody know, or is it a misattribution? If so, who actually said it?

Answer 1

This is from The 22 Non-Negotiable Laws of Wellness (1995):

The Law of Mindfulness reminds us to focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it. Become aware of all that is here now, and enjoy it. While this guideline may pose a real challenge to many type-A personalities, it’s the essence and power of the Law of Mindfulness.

_{Greg Anderson (1995). The 22 Non-Negotiable Laws of Wellness, chapter 13. San Francisco: HarperCollins.}

Of course, the idea in the quotation, that a journey may be more important than its destination, was not original to Anderson. This has been a commonplace for some time:

’Twas for the journey, not the goal, I cared.

_{William Allingham (1883). Evil May-Day, p. 80. London: Longmans.}

The earth is a journey, not a goal; it is a place of trial, not the prize

_{Geremia Bonomelli (1910). Christian Mysteries, volume IV, p. 361. Translated by Thomas Byrne. New York: Benziger.}

A book is the journey not the destination; it would be alive not dead.

_{Giovanni Gentile (1922). The Theory of Mind As Pure Act, p. xxvii. London: Macmillan.}

See also Quote Investigator on “life is a journey, not a destination” (2012), who notes a precursor in Emerson:

To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom.

_{Ralph Waldo Emerson (1844). Essays: Second Series, p. 65. Boston: James Munroe.}