Take Pride In Your Progress
“Rome wasn’t built in a day” is a phrase that’s probably familiar to all of us. The metaphor (while also implying the same meaning if taken literally) describes a situation in which something has to be done over the course of a period of time. However, despite such reassuring phrases being echoed frequently, why do we still feel upset over our lack of immediate achievements?
The answer is simple: contrasts. In this modern age of digitalisation, everyone's accomplishments are laid bare for all to see on social media. Whether it’s a new job, a new car, or even a new partner, everything is shared online now, and this can lead to pressure to match those standards.
Of course, that’s not to say it wasn't like that in the old days, especially if your parents compared you to the children of their friends or colleagues. This can lead to stress as you’ll feel the need to meet their standards and do better than those kids in order to make your parents proud. Naturally, this will lead to more esteem issues when entering adulthood, and even more so in this digital world.
When we see that others are ahead of us, we sometimes tend to feel left behind. We might question our capabilities, if we’re on the right track, or even if we’re moving at all.
However, everyone is running at a different pace to reach different goals, and even though you might not see the fruits of your labour yet, the finish line is always there waiting for you. Regardless of how long it takes or how many laps are left, the finish line won’t disappear as long as you keep working towards it.
Learn to forgive yourself and set realistic milestones on the journey to reaching your goals. A little progress goes a long way, so doing a little bit of something each day will eventually accumulate into the end result you want. Even taking time off to recover is fine, since you’ll be more prepared to tackle your problems once more after a little rest, so don't ever feel guilty about that.
In the end, only you can plan for the goals you want to reach. Whether you reach it in a week, a month, or a couple of years is entirely up to you, so don't worry about others commenting on your progress and complete the journey at your own pace.
If you ever feel like you’re not making any progress or if you’re experiencing blocks, why not give this article another read? It might encourage you to rethink your situation and give you that last push to cross the finish line.
