Don’t Wait to Make Progress

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Looking back, one of the main reasons that I got “stuck” in various areas of my life is because I waited around until the conditions felt perfect for taking action.

I wanted to feel in the right mood.

I wanted to know exactly what needed to be done.

I wanted a sure path to quick results.

I didn’t feel like taking baby steps, because that felt too slow. I’m better than that, or so I thought.

Those who just started moving, even before everything felt neat and tidy in their minds, were able to quickly gain experience and real-world feedback, which accelerated their journey in the long run.

Because I was too fearful to take those early steps, I missed out on the amazing compounding value of action.

I’ve heard it said and believe it to be true that the reason most people fail to achieve their goals isn’t because they didn’t move fast enough but because they had too many “zero” days when they failed to make any progress at all.

One simple rule of life I’m trying to follow is to avoid these “zero” days. If you can avoid inaction, the good stuff practically takes care of itself. The more times you put yourself out there with a good habit or a positive action, the more likely you are to see the seeds of those efforts bear fruit.

The Power of Consistent Micro-Actions

My cross-country coach in college used to say “It’s not rocket science, it’s consistency” when talking about our training plans. And this is true in so many areas of life.

A lot of people never get started because they assume that people who are in great shape, enjoying deep friendships, or thriving in their vocations have some special talent. But unless you are comparing yourself to professional athletes and business tycoons, this is almost certainly not the case.

I think it comes down to the fact that while most people overestimate how much progress they can make over a short period of time, they underestimate the amount of progress they could make over large periods of consistent effort.

It’s nearly impossible to underestimate this effect, and in fact, it has been one of my major shortcomings. I felt that if something didn’t happen quickly, I must be doing something wrong, and so I gave up in discouragement. But in almost any area of life, if you were to take consistent daily action for a year or two, no matter how small, your present self would be shocked at how far you could get.

If there’s one universal piece of advice I could give you, it would be to keep making progress. You might start small, but with enough time, you’ll see your efforts snowball into something great.

What Keeps Us From Progress

Now, if we set the threshold low enough, nearly every one of us could be making regular progress toward our goals. What keeps us from this simple and effective practice? I mentioned a few reasons in the introduction, but I want to briefly expand on two of them and explain why you shouldn’t let these excuses hold you back.

A Distaste for ‘Slow and Steady’

One of the biggest obstacles to progress in my life has been an implicit belief that I should be able to find a shortcut to get where I want faster than everyone else. I felt like the ordinary work and the typical path were beneath me, and so I was always holding out for something easier and faster.

A 2022 research study published in Acta Psychologica gives further credibility to the idea that trying to work faster isn’t always the fastest way. They found that under tight deadlines, university students who were trying to work faster ended up feeling more stress and performing worse on the tasks they were given to do. While slowing down may feel like a wasted opportunity in the moment, it can end up being the faster option when all factors are fully accounted for.

A Desire for Certainty

The other big obstacle I faced, related to the first one, is a belief that I could remove all risk of failure by coming up with the perfect plan at the front end. I wanted to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my original plan would work and that my efforts would not be wasted.

With both of these unhelpful beliefs, I failed to understand that the vast majority of what you need to succeed in anything can’t be learned in the abstract or from a standstill. It would be like trying to become a good friend by reading self-help books while not actually spending time with those you love.

The quickest way toward what you want is often the most direct. Do the real thing, however small, and do it consistently. That is the secret I learned a little later in life but one I now cherish deeply.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.