A friend once said that "if you do not have the ability to fly, then run. If by any reason, you cannot run, then walk, but by all means, keep moving." What this means is that progress is still progress irrespective of the pace. A slow movement is far better than standing still. This is why consistency always wins the race when it comes to long distance race. Of course you know that life is more of a marathon than a 100metre race. In fact, there are times where a slow speed with consistency is better than speed without consistency. But in the world we find ourselves in, a lot of people tend to expect overnight success, and some quick results, while they believe that moving slow is a failure. What they fail to understand is that progress is still progress no matter how slow it may look.
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The expectations from people have become so high that they do not see the need to have patience and build because of their quest for immediate results. Some also tend to compare themselves with others who are already far ahead and then believe that their own little steps do not matter. Your steps actually matter even if you do not feel it. With consistency, over a period of time, you will understand why your little steps are very important. You have to understand that moving forward even at a gentle pace is far better than standing at a spot in fear, discouragement, and doubt without taking steps.
You may tend to feel safe to stand still, because it allows you to avoid making mistakes, discomfort, and criticism. But what you may not even notice is that standing still at a place quietly steals your potentials. A lot of dreams have faded, not because they are impossible, but because they did not take steps, or they took steps and stopped. When you stop taking steps, or stop learning, or stop to improve yourself, then you have signed up for stagnation. But when you keep taking steps, even slowly, you keep your dreams alive. Every small step you take will become a reminder that growth is happening. Even if the growth is not visible at the moment, it will definitely be seen.
Have you ever observed a seed germinate, grow into seedling, then into a tree? If you observe it daily, you will not even see a noticeable growth, but it is still happening. After a while, what was once a seed will become a tree. So also in life, even a slow progress has a way of building strength. When you move gradually, you expose yourself to understanding the process and the methods, correct your errors, and then build capacity to undertake better tasks. The results you get by building through consistency will last, and will not collapse even under pressure. When you follow the process, you will learn discipline and consistency, which are very vital for success to be attained.
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A lot of the great achievements you see today are functions of small repeated steps. For example, a student who studies little everyday consistently would have covered a lot of topics over a long period of time than a student who reads much occasionally. Instead of just waiting to start big or take a giant stride, you can start small and keep at it. Through consistency, even if the steps are little, you will achieve the incredible over a period of time. As a business person, you may start a business today and you may not see the result at first, but when you keep putting in efforts, the returns will begin to come. This is why you do not have to give up if the results are not as quick as you expect.
It is worthy to note that progress may not be always visible. In fact, there are times that going forward and making progress might just be to not give up. It is can also means showing up and keep doing what you are doing even when the motivation may seem very low. It can also means that you have chosen actions and efforts over excuses. If you do not quit and if you do not stop trying, then you have a possibility of succeeding. But if you stop trying, then you have already exempted yourself from succeeding.
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