Putting Progress in Perspective. Sometimes when a goal takes significant time and effort we fail to put our progress in perspective.
Years ago, in college, I did some mountain climbing (technical - with ropes and karabiners as well as hike ups) with a dear friend from Georgia Tech.
When you are up on a climb, tired, sore and its getting dark, there are four places you can look:
- You can look at the rock or path immediately ahead of you and focus on the challenges of the moment, one hand above the other, one foot in front of the other; a reach there for a piece of the rock.
- You can look up and focus on how far you have yet to go.
If a pending storm or darkness interrupts your climb, you can focus on the frustration of not being able to continue at that time, saying to yourself, that all this is for nothing.
- You can look down and out at the vista, and enjoy the view along with the progress your have made.
If your climb is to be delayed or interrupted, you can take satisfaction in how far you have come & how great the view is from here.
- You can look inside of yourself, at your increasing skills, at the sensations of your body, at the "real struggle": the struggle to conquer your limitations & the negative messages you send yourself; at your weaknesses and your compensating strengths; at your fear and your compensating courage.
If your climb is to be delayed or interrupted, you can take satisfaction in how much you have grown, what you have learned, how better prepared you will be for the future.
- Or you can do all four; trying to put in perspective the progress you have made; the challenges you have met, without minimizing those yet to come; and continue to climb -- enjoying the challenge.
Rhb
10:37:32 PM 
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