People don't just wake up one fine morning and become a success, just like how a caterpillar doesn't just turn into a butterfly instantly. Development happens, but it's usually slow and incremental. For the caterpillar to become a beautiful butterfly it takes time, patience and a million changes.
When we want to learn new skills it's going to take the same process. While I was just beginning to play the piano, playing basic keys or tunes was quite a challenge for me. My fingers hurt, and the sounds were honestly horrible. The more I practiced, the more those basic tunes turned into good songs. Months of daily practice were needed for me to play well. Every small step, just like the caterpillar, was important for me. I simply couldn't skip to become a professional.
Another great example could be starting a new job. Everything seems overwhelming on the first day. There are new systems to learn, new people to meet, and new tasks to handle. But as time goes on you begin to get the hang of things. You finally find your rhythm, and tasks that seemed impossible become second nature to you. It's all part of the growth process.
Even in romantic relationships, there is growth. People misunderstand each other in the beginning. Then, as time goes by and you start knowing each other, you learn to understand each other better. You grow with the other person, and it gets stronger. I believe one reason people break-up is because they lack the patience to endure and understand their partners, they give up in the process.
I've come to realize how those small moves in my life change drastically. It could be regular exercise, learning a new hobby, or even improvement in work skills, all of it amounts to something good. That means you have to show up every single day and to put in the work, even if it seems that nothing is changing.
Growth feels like traveling through so many stages. It never was, is, or will be easy. Yet it always is worth it. Every step, whether big or small, is still movement toward being your best self.