We are constantly striving to improve ourselves, our health, our finances, and our lives in general. Maybe you have a detail development plan where every action gets you a little closer to where you want to be. Maybe you just lie in bed every night wishing you earn twice as much.
But does any progress we make to our goal, make us feel any better? I’m not sure it always does…
What do I mean by this? Surely every dollar more you earn and every new friend you make improves your life incrementally? “In fact, give me $10 now and I assure you i’ll be happier than I am now” I hear you say. And that may be true. For a second. For a minute. Maybe an hour. But when you wake up tomorrow I assure you you’ll feel pretty much the same.
Now I’m not trying to be bitter or pessimistic. The point I’m want to make is that journeys are never linear. What does that mean? Simply, if you are at ’1′ now and want to get to ’10′ in five years time, then don’t expect to gain ’2′ every year until you reach your goal – you’ll give up demoralised after six months when your are on minus 4!
Let go for one of those random, tangental examples I love so much. You are in a crap relationship and a crap job. Your goal is to be happily married and doing something you live with your days. The first two steps are:
a) Break up with your current partner; and
b) Quit your current job.
These steps are hyperspace jumps towards your goal, but do you think for a minute that they’ll make you feel amazing on day 1? Do you think that you won’t spend 3 months considering phoning your ex, or regretting the resignation with every blank job application you start?
The moral of the story? Just because the progress makes you feel worse, doesn’t mean it is not progress – these are the challenges that 99% of people walk away at, and why if you get through them, you’ll be in that 1% of the happiest people! Good luck, and hold on.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Great point. It’s funny that you mentioned those examples because I had to do those exact two things in order to start my personal growth years ago. Yes, it can be difficult in the long run it does create growth.
Hi Ralph,
Funny how these things hit us all at some point in our lives! I hope your growth has been productive!
Rich