Progress: Noun
- a forward or onward movement (as to an objective or to a goal) : ADVANCE
- gradual betterment
I really love the concept of “gradual betterment”. When I have been seeking my true purpose – my true way in life – the bliss I seek – I have been challenged around the concept of progress. Maybe I’m an over-achiever, but I tend to wake up every morning and put a lot of pressure on myself to advance all the things. I want to do a good job at work, make healthy lifestyle choices, get good exercise, take care of my family, do something creative, read a good book, meditate, jot down my insights at the end of the day and get enough sleep before I wake up and do it all again. It’s like I have this mental checklist where a successful day checks all the boxes. And if I miss one (or many), then I notice and try really hard not to beat myself up. Sometimes the fleeting nature of life is overwhelming, so I find myself wanting to pack as much into each day as I can so that I feel like I’ve taken full advantage it. I don’t like wasting things.
But then I realized that I’ve done the same thing with finding and executing my purpose. I was doggedly determined to find it and once I “figured it out” (which I don’t think is a thing anymore), then I was doggedly determined to see the vision through as quickly as possible – and then I had to add this new task to my already brimming-over daily checklist. I ended up trying to create a time management plan for myself that I followed for exactly 7 hours.
Thankfully, I realized that this is not how gradual betterment works. There are no whiz bang booms in life. There is gradual betterment – which means that some days will feel gentle and contented; some days will feel pretty crummy; some days will feel like you can’t make the smile stop because it’s just that damn amazing. Some days will be your darkest hour. And that’s how it should be – because let’s face it – the most entertaining movies are the ones where some kids get lost with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in a jungle and they have to experience the highs and lows of finding their way to survival. You are rooting for them even though you watch them making dumb choices that put their lives at risk. No one would want to watch a movie where the main character says “aha! I’ve got it!” and then the things they visioned just sort of happen. That would be boring, and it wouldn’t show that the joy in achievement is the work you put in along the way. I’m finding now that my purpose is multifarious. This week, I helped a friend who was very sick, I took care of my kids, I did some manual labor that was immediately gratifying. I gave myself permission to take my foot off the gas at work and focus on my well-being and time with my family. I had a couple of days where I was feeling a little lost. I definitely didn’t check all the boxes. And I couldn’t possibly be any closer to my purpose. This week has been part of my journey, and I’m better at the end of this week than I was when it started.