One thing I strongly believe in and I mean strongly is that small progress still counts, I don’t care how tiny it looks, how slow it feels, or how unimpressive it seems compared to other people’s milestones, Progress is progress, and nobody can convince me otherwise.
I used to think growth had to be big, big wins, big announcements, dramatic glow ups, the kind of progress that makes people clap for you and say wow, But life humbled me small, Because there were seasons where I couldn’t make big moves even if I wanted to, Seasons where just waking up, showing up, or trying again was already a lot.
This year especially taught me that lesson very clearly, there were times I felt stuck, like I was standing in the same spot while everyone else was sprinting ahead, I wanted things to move faster, I wanted results immediately, but reality had its own plans, yeah...some days, all I could do was take one step, read one page, practice one lesson, try one more time, and at first, it didn’t feel like enough.
But then slowly, I realized something, those small steps were stacking up quietly, yeah ....they didn’t announce themselves, they did not come with any applause, but they were still moving me forward, even when it felt like nothing was really happening, something was actually happening underneath the whole thing.
Learning a new skill made this belief even stronger for me, I didn’t wake up magically to be good at it, I still don’t understand everything, Some days, my brain just refuses to cooperate. But the fact that I keep showing up, even when I’m tired, confused, or doubting myself that matters, one lesson today is better than zero lessons for months trying badly is better than not trying at all.
I also had moments where my body has forced me to slow down, I couldn’t do much, I couldn’t be productive in the way people like to romanticize online, and in that season, progress looked like rest, Healing, Getting back on my feet, breathing properly again, that alone was a win, even if it didn’t look like one to anyone else.
That us why I am so sure about this belief, Because I have lived the alternative, I have seen what happens when you dismiss small efforts and wait for the perfect moment, You end up waiting forever, but when you honor small progress, you give yourself permission to keep going without burning out.
So the question would I encourage others to believe this too? Yes.... but in a gentle way, and not as a pressure, not as a motivational talk, but just as a reminder, you don’t have to do everything at once, you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to keep moving, even if it is slowly somehow.
Yes ... Small progress still counts, even on the days that it feels so invisible, and even when nobody notices, or even when you are exhausted, It still counts, and yes it always will.
Image gotten from unsplash
Aikay👾
