Category Archives: Progress

Bring patience to your path. See each step as progress and move forward at your own pace.

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Bring patience to your path. See each step as progress and move forward at your own pace.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Tamara Manzi

Many people operate at a fast pace in almost everything they do these days.

How fast do you talk, walk, eat, and drive?

What are some of the benefits of moving in the fast lane?

What are the negative consequences of always being in a hurry?

For many of us, our pace is ingrained and set on auto pilot with only modest awareness.

How might a slower and more patient pace of living offer hidden benefits?

Where would a steady as she goes approach help you arrive more safely and sanely to your desired destinations?

EXERCISE:

Where in your life would a slow is smooth and smooth is fast approach make the biggest difference?

Where can and will you bring greater patience to your path beginning today?

Take a broader view of your track record

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Take a broader view of your track record. What did you pick up and learn when you fell? How quickly did you stand again to give things another go?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Nils Huenerfuerst

Just before 7:00 each morning you can find me playing Wordle. I consider it a form of cerebral stretching that helps me warm up my mental muscles. My interest in its statistical feedback is one of the reasons I haven’t missed a day in over a year.

In the early stages of my Wordle-ing efforts it often took more attempts to solve each puzzle. On a number of occasions, I failed completely.

Every few months I evaluate my progress with some grade school arithmetic to get a broader view of my running average score.

EXERCISE:

Where would taking a broader view of your track record over time serve you best? What critical lessons have your learned? What motivates you to keep going when you occasionally stumble or fall?

“In the game of life, there’s no high score list, but you never want to languish on level one.”

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“In the game of life, there’s no high score list, but you never want to languish on level one.”

—Jay Shetty, life coach and former Hindu monk

Image from Unsplash by Erik Mclean

I’ve never been a big fan of video games. Except for space invaders and PAC Man many years ago, I never seemed to get the rush of leveling up in the multitude of games and systems that came after.

I have, however, always been interested in the game of life and the pursuit of growth and achievement. Tackling some worthy objective that filled my desire to learn and feel purposeful always had me want to take the next steps in my capabilities and impact.

EXERCISE:

Where do you have a keen desire to level up and build on your current abilities?

How can you measure your progress in these areas with your own inner scoreboard?

One small crack does not mean you are broken

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“One small crack does not mean you are broken, it means that you were put to the test and you didn’t fall apart.”

—Linda Poindexter, @PoindexterLinda on Twitter

Image from Unsplash by Johnny Cohen

In professional sports virtually all athletes play hurt on some or many occasions. Aches, pains, strains, and sprains are the price of their efforts to excel. We loyal fans cheer them on as they continue to test themselves and pursue victory.

Over the past two months I’ve been going to physical therapy to strengthen my right knee, which has been causing me some pain and instability.

During my regular visits I’ve met dozens of other patients who also have experienced a variety of physical setbacks.

It’s been nice to see all of them progressing with the targeted therapies and supportive staff assisting their efforts.

EXERCISE:

Where are you noticing a few cracks in your personal armor?

Where and how is life testing you?

How can you acknowledge the champion spirit within that has you continue to suit up and get back in the game?

Appreciate each small step and every glimpse of progress

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Appreciate each small step and every glimpse of progress. It’s almost always about the journey.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Joshua Sukoff

Where are you at this very moment? What are you doing? Who are you with? What are your thoughts, feelings, and emotions?

We have all been told that life occurs in the here and now and yet we often jump into our mental DeLorean to revisit the past or jump ahead to the future.

Of course, taking occasional trips down memory lane can be helpful to point out pivotal moments and possible missteps.

Lessons learned can also help guide you and offer suggestions about who you may wish to travel with to support your efforts.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways have you progressed this past year? What positive qualities have you developed or enhanced? What journeys do you intend to take and what progress do you intend to make in the year ahead?

“We do not appreciate inertia’s power over us.”

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“We do not appreciate inertia’s power over us.”

—Marshall Goldsmith, American leadership coach and author

Image from Unsplash by The Creative Exchange

Inertia is the tendency to do nothing or remain unchanged. With the social distancing, stay-at-home guidelines and other efforts to fight COVID-19, our world and our lives slowed down considerably.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Consider your vocational efforts, eating habits, sleep schedule, and level of exercise as places to look. Where in these and other important areas of life have you progressed, stayed about the same, or let the power of inertia have its way with you?

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can and will you break free of this force so that you can soar even higher and farther?

Take The Oars

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“If the wind will not serve, take the oars.”

—Latin Proverb

Image of oars


Image from Flickr by Sarah Brabazon

Have you ever been sailing, wind surfing, flown a kite, or even played golf on a breezy day?

What was it like in terms of your progress and level of success when the wind was at your back?

It’s pretty great when we get an assist to help us on our journey!

All to often, however, life doesn’t provide the winds that serve us, and in some cases, the headwinds of life come directly at us to thwart our efforts.

EXERCISE:

Where and on what personal or professional issue is it time to “take the oars” and do the difficult and challenging work that will get you where you wish to go?

The Grand Lie

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“Perfection is the grand lie.”

-Brendon Burchard, American Motivational Author

Image from Flickr by ewitch

Image from Flickr by ewitch

Virtually everyone I meet who is exploring a coaching relationship wants to change their lives for the better.

Many experience a fair amount of upsets in their worlds, due to unfulfilled expectations of themselves, and others.

The “Grand Lie” of perfectionism is often a significant culprit for feelings of inadequacy and unhappiness.

An alternate approach – which I have found effective and freeing – is to replace perfectionism with the pursuit of progress, so that when the day is done, what you get done is what you get done.

EXERCISE:

Where is the Grand Lie of Perfectionism preventing you from the fulfilling and satisfying life you desire? Where would the pursuit of excellence and ongoing progress serve you far better?

“Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.”

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“Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.”

– Plato, Ancient Greek philosopher

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Image from Flickr by wwarby

Who doesn’t recall the story of the tortoise and the hare, or the phrase “slow and steady wins the race”? Yet in the world today, moving fast is often seen as a critical part of success.

In terms of the coaching process, each individual and organization needs to be treated uniquely and define their own standard of success. It troubles me when people place their own definition of success and achievement on others – often invalidating, judging and diminishing the efforts and progress of those around them.

Plato is suggesting that we support and celebrate others’ effort and progress, no matter how slow, in order to be supportive coaches, mentors and colleagues to those we care about.

Exercise:

How will you be an encourager and not a discourager of others in your personal and professional lives today?