Of course, there is the “other” approach, that Moshiach doesn’s just “come” and solve all our problems. Instead, Yemos Hamoshiach /Acharos Hayamim will come to be only when we have fulfilled our mission as Jews – to be an or lagoyim and bring all the people of the world to a realization of their task to live as Human Beings in accordance with God’s Will. Moshiach does not “come” and magically transform the world; the world will enter a state of yemos hamoshiach when we have done our job as mamleches kohanim v’goy kadosh, when we have fully realized our potential as an am segulah.
We should not look to moshiach to solve our problems. How many times throughout our history have Jews been destroyed physically and spiritually because they looked to a person who seemed to be moshaich as the answer to their problems? Instead, we must solve our own problems, work through our challenges, improve ourselves and by example the world around us. If we do that we might merit to witness the day when we have successfully been “misaken olam b’malchus Shadai, v’chol binei basar yikra’u bishmecha.”
Just look at and really think about the paragraph in the Amida for Yomim Noraim beginning “U’vechein tein pachticha”; that says it all.