Making progress towards your goals is the most imperative key to contentment. Acting in ways that move you from where you are to where you wish to be is essential to lasting happiness. Progress won't happen on accident. You need a plan with specific and actionable goals.
Progress Requires Intention
Change is constant and automatic, but it does not mean you are growing. Growth requires both planning toward a specific goal and acting according to that plan.
Progress is intentional change. It is consistently acting like the person you would like to become would. By doing these actioning repeatedly, they become habitual. Before you know it, you are that person.
Our habits of expressing ourselves determine not only what others think of us but what we think of ourselves. By acting in the ways we wish to be more like, we begin to represent to others the attitudes and emotions of that type of person. Other people see this and respond to us like anyone acting that way. This validates our story and gives us confidence in our actions.
Perfect is the Enemy of Good
Perfectionism prevents progress. When we try to do things perfectly:
- We never start: Our fear of failing to meet our high expectations prevents us from starting.
- We never finish: Like an author who can't finish their novel, we endlessly make minor adjustments to our work that are ultimately inconsequential.
The biggest problem with perfectionism is that it cannot coexist with satisfaction. When a perfectionist achieves his goals according to plan, they aren't satisfied. Perfectionism ensures that you always feel that you have fallen short.
The Bottom Line
Progress is about getting things done according to a plan. It is not about being perfect, and the goal that you are aiming for may change along the way. Progress is about getting outside your comfort zone so you can grow. Feeling uncomfortable is as crucial for your growth as growth is to your happiness. Embrace discomfort and adversity so you can become the best version of yourself.
