For many, the word “progress” is just the root of the word “progressive,” which makes them think of their car insurance. Today, though, I was thinking about progress on a deeper level; it really can be a powerful force.
We are all on a journey — whether it is personal, professional, emotional, physical. We all have a place that we came from, our Point A, and a place where we want to be, our Point B. It is our hope that the steps we are taking each day are leading us further from Point A and closer to our Point B.
Sometimes though, as a mother or a runner or a writer, I have bad days and convince myself that I’m not on the right path, or that I’ll never reach Point B, or that I’m reverting to a Point A state of being.
That’s when I need to focus on progress. (Read it in an English accent if you want it to sound fancy = PRO-gress.)
“Small progress is still progress.” ~ Anonymous
I haven’t met all my goals for the year, but I’m closer than I was a month ago. I haven’t cleared an emotional hurdle and worked out feelings of anger, pain and resentment toward another person. But I’m doing better every day. I’m not in shape to run my half marathon at my preferred pace. But I’m getting faster and heading down the right path.
It’s always good to keep our eyes on the prize and stay focused on the goals in front of us as we move along this journey. But it’s equally important, I feel, to stop at times and look behind at just how far we’ve come.