A different way to approach making progress to achieve the results you want

There is a problem with the way we often focus on progress. And it is this:

We often expect ourselves to deliver progress at the same pace and level, every day, week, and month throughout the year.

This puts unrealistic expectations and unnecessary pressure on ourselves because it doesn’t reflect the realities of how day-to-day life, work, and business happen.

The reality is that things going on in our lives and work fluctuate all the time.

One week you can be flying along with the progress you want to make. Then the next week you are hit by something that negatively impacts your progress in some way.

To expect to make progress at the same rate as when things are running smoothly is an unnecessary self-inflicted pressure and an unrealistic burden we put on ourselves. It can lead to unhelpful things like beating yourself up, self-criticism, and self-doubt.

As the path of progress is never linear, proactively approaching it that way can make a big difference.

One of the most useful approaches I have found over the years is to focus on incremental progress.

What I mean by that is to look at each day based on what is actually going on, not what I planned it to be.

Then, based on what is actually going on, I ask myself, “What would be incremental progress in this situation today?”

It might not be the progress I planned or wanted. But, if it is appropriate to what is going on that day, personally and professionally, then it is good enough. It is progress based on reality.

Progress should be based on what is going on in real time, not necessarily what you planned it to be. The focus on progress should be flexible and adaptable, not linear and rigid.

Progress is most manageable when you focus on small, incremental gains consistently and persistently, based on the situation at hand.

And be OK with the fact that it can vary every day, week, and month.

Progress is never a linear path.