Slow Progress is Still Progress

It seems like everyone is in a hurry to make tons of progress.

It reminds me of that old Alabama song, I’m in a Hurry and Don’t Know Why.

Something I’ve noticed in my life, and in my clients’ lives, is impatience when it comes to progress and growth.

I believe progress is a process, and that’s it’s a process that doesn’t need to be rushed as much as we rush it.

Lately, in my coaching, I’ve been using the analogy of planting a seed.

You wouldn’t plant the seed, then in an effort to speed things up, dig it up and check on it.

Then dig it up again the next day to see if it needs help germinating and sprouting.

If you tried to force progress with your seed, you’d stifle or kill all growth and potential.

The other day I heard this quote from Stu McLaren, “Slow progress is still progress!”

It completely filled my soul with hope and peace.

I don’t need to be in such a hurry.

Slow progress is still progress.

Progress is a Process

How many times are we reminded that “Slow and Steady Wins the Race.”

I invite you to let the progress that you’re working on take its own time.

Let it work according to its own process.

If you or your teen is working on making some progress, realize that it takes somewhat of a process.

Some things will happen faster than you ever thought was possible, and other things will take a disappointingly long amount of time.

Either way, lean into the process.

Embrace the process.

One of the problems with the world today is that we are overly focused on the destination.

We see what we want, and get excited, but then we compare that to where we are, and we see the gap, and we get disappointed and frustrated.

Stop that, and start seeing it for the process that it is.

Learn how to enjoy the process.

The process will have more impact on your life than the destination anyway.

Plus, once you arrive at your destination, there’ll be a new process to engage in.

Progress is Personal/Individual

This is one of the most important things to realize!

Progress is Personal!!

One of the mistakes that I see parents making is expecting their teens to make the same progress, growth, or journey that they are.

Sorry, but this just isn’t the case.

Progress is always personal.

No one will grow the same way you will.

Don’t expect yourself to grow make progress the exact same way that others do.

Will your progress look like the progress of others?

Sometimes, but that’s not the goal.

Embrace the individual nature of your progress. It’s part of what makes you you.

Embrace the individual nature of your teen’s progress. That’s what will make them them.

Progress Has a Purpose

I believe that we have two fundamental purposes in this life.

#1 Progress and grow.

and

#2 Help others progress and grow.

The secret is, you can’t help others do something that you can’t do for yourself.

If you’re like me, you’ve tried to get someone else to change and grow.

The problem is, you don’t have the power to make someone else progress.

We see this problem all over the world.

In politics, in Hollywood, in religion, and even sports fandom, we try to change others. Try to get them to see things our way.

The problem is, any effort trying to manage someone else’s progress is effort wasted and not spent on managing your own growth.

Embrace your progress. See it as your gift to the world.

BE the Change You Want to See in the world.

Join My BE The Change Challenge!

Let’s go back to the basics!

Join my BE The Change Challenge on Facebook.

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