Say you want to lose weight… and you do. But you keep thinking, ‘just 10 pounds more.’ Or you finally complete that major home project and are already planning for the next renovation. Or you get a raise… but you’ve already started gunning for the next promotion. Sound familiar? If you love progress but feel like the endpoint— that perfect, happy place where you’ve finally ‘made it’—feels never-ending, you’re not alone.
I have struggled with this as long as I can remember. I was in the car on the way home after completing my first marathon when I was already planning the next event in my head. It is so easy to help other people recognize all the progress they have made toward, the small changes that add up to big results.
Progress is like a horizon. As we strive to improve, we run towards that horizon. Yet the horizon is an imaginary line: we can never reach it. If we forget that simple fact, it’s easy to get frustrated, tired, or burned out. We never get there. So how do you evaluate progress in a positive and proactive way? First, you need to look back and see where you started. Notice the strides you’ve taken. Use the distance you’ve already traveled as your true measure of progress. Then you need to look ahead. Think about where you’re going and plot out your next moves to ensure success.
