How does one strive for progress?
You know, start a new challenge with a head full of steam, only to then sputter out. Why is that? Many times this sputtering happens because we don’t see our ideas as a journey and we get tangled up in perfection.
Does it mean we have to accept low-quality work or failure? Does it mean excellence doesn’t matter? Of course not! When I lift weights or do yoga I strive for excellence and set actionable goals accordingly.
Progress, Not Perfection, Is How We Are Made
When you focus on progress, not perfection, you don’t spiral down the self-doubt and self-criticism rabbit hole. From a progress point of view, you can look back at what you have accomplished for continued motivation to keep moving forward.
What’s more, you can build milestones to celebrate as you make progress toward your big goals.
So, ask yourself this:
What goals or projects have sputtered out because you’re pursuing them with a perfection mindset instead of focusing on the progress?
What small step can you take immediately to shift your focus to your progress?
Think about two to three achievements you could celebrate. How do these achievements demonstrate your progress?
Shifting your mindset is hard.
To make the process more manageable, focus on just one task, one small change, that will help you achieve your goal over time.
Say we want to get healthier and we don’t eat a whole lot of plants. Our task, our small change, can be to eat a serving of vegetables with each meal. That’s it.
That’s what we focus on doing. And we do it to the best of our ability. If we hit a bump in the road or we veer off track, that’s ok.
We’re human. We’re imperfect. That’s what makes us unique. And awesome.
We just find the path again and keep moving forward.
Pretty soon that one small thing becomes a habit. It’s just part of our daily lives. And we’re miles closer to that big picture goal.
Once that first small thing becomes easy, we focus on the next task, the next change.
We keep making progress. We keep moving forward.
-Coach Kellie
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