About a month ago I had surgery. After the operation, sitting,
walking, and anything where I had to lift my legs more than a
couple inches was a challenge.
While the healing process has felt maddeningly slow at times,
it has definitely been taking place. Looking back over the last
month, it strikes me how important the little signs of progress
have been. For example:
- Realizing that I could get in and out of bed without
dreading it.
- Discovering I could actually sleep on my side again.
- Stepping into the shower/tub without thinking, “OK, now
how do I get my feet that high?”
- Putting my socks on without wishing I had orangutan
arms so I could hold the socks lower.
When I felt frustrated with how slow the healing process
felt, I would compare my signs of progress with where I had
been before.
“Good Curt,” you might be thinking. “Glad you’re feeling
better. But how is that relevant to my life?”
Because, like my healing, progress towards the vision we
have for our career, and our life, can sometimes feel
maddeningly slow. And if we don’t pay attention, it can feel
like we’re standing still.
Recognition of progress feeds persistence.
One of the keys to success in turning your vision into
reality is simple persistence. Seeing progress makes it easier
to be persistent. On the other hand, feeling like it’s all action
and noforward movement can be incredibly de-motivating.
None of those signs of progress after my surgery were huge
in and of themselves, but they were indications that,
“Things are better this week than they were last week.”
When you acknowledge the small signs of progress, you
reinforce the fact that you’re moving in the right direction.
And that makes it easier to keep moving in the right
direction.
Celebrating reinforces the importance
Acknowledging your progress is one thing, but if you really
want to make the most of your progress, celebrate it. Say
to yourself, “This is an important step. This is a great sign
that I’m headed in the right direction.” Better yet, say it out
loud to someone else.
It’s too easy to gloss over our achievements and focus on
“OK, what’s next?” If we acknowledge a sign of progress,
but don’t attach any importance to it, our mind doesn’t
really perceive it as much progress at all. Stopping regularly
to celebrate our forward movement adds weight to that
progress, reinforcing its importance.
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