Make a little bit of progress, each and every day [PMP #101]

As I was preparing the 100th podcast episode I took some time to reflect. I remember back when I started the podcast I had no idea what I was doing or whether the podcast would last. In fact, I had no idea if my business would last.

The first episode was published on the 5th of May, 2015. Back then I didn’t really consider what I was doing to be a “business”. I was working full-time and trying to make money “on the side” not knowing if I’d ever be able to make it work.

It’s crazy now looking back to think how much my life has changed, almost without realising.

Every now and then I have a “pinch me” moment where I stop and think: “Wow, it’s pretty cool that every day I get to wake up, work on my own projects and build my own business”. But sometimes when we get into our daily routines, what was once a novelty is now the new normal and we forget how far we’ve come.

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Remember when you wanted what you currently haveClick To Tweet

The progress we make is often so gradual that it’s easy to lose sight of where we’ve come from.

It’s funny, every Tuesday I go to an Olympic lifting class and my coach, Richie Patterson (who’s an Olympic gold medalist) often asks us: “What did you achieve today?” and my answer is always that “I just made a little bit of progress”.

And I really believe this focus on making micro amounts of progress, consistently, each and every day is what gets us towards our goals.

Every day focus on making micro amounts of progress and you'll quickly get to where you want to beClick To Tweet

Often when working on big goals or projects we’re waiting for a big “Eureka” moment where our work finally pays off. A moment when you realise “I did it!” and you can finally stop and celebrate. But this is rarely the case. And this is why we so often lose sight of how far we’ve come.

And that’s okay.

Stop waiting for a “Eureka” moment and instead, take a second to look back and you’ll probably be surprised, like I often am, at how far you’ve come.

Setting big goals is great. They give us a sense of purpose and focus. But often the thought of trying to attain that far away goal is overwhelming and can cause us to procrastinate or give up altogether.

So don’t worry about it.

When you swim freestyle you keep your head down and focus on one stroke at a time. Then every few breaths you quickly look up and “sight” your destination.

It’s the same with our work.

Get to work and focus on making small amounts of progress each and every day. But look up every now and then to make sure you’re still on track and heading in the right direction. On a daily basis, don’t worry about your big goals and how far away they seem. Instead, concentrate on making a little bit of progress.

This idea is what's kept me on track and focussed over the last few years. Let me know your thoughts, comments and feedback down below!