Sometimes change happens incrementally, a little at a time. Even if I only write for 30 minutes today, that is progress. Even if I only post two blogs this week, I have added to my archive of worthwhile posts. Even if I only exercised three times this week, I still maintained my endurance. Even if I only play one game with my kids today, we still had quality time together.
There are times when I can kick myself into full gear and truly focus on one project for a few weeks. These times of focus and concentration are good for starting a project. These are the times when you set down all of your other baggage in life, pick up your one project, and you run. You run as fast as you can, until you spend your last breath, and you fall to your knees, heaving and gasping for a air, craving a break.
If I run in order to get an important project going, that is fine, and maybe it is good. Once I am out of breath, though, I must then learn to persevere in walking with the project. Walking is so very difficult because you must pick up your baggage that you dropped, all of those other projects that exist in life, and continue forward, ever so much more slowly.
I feel like I am at the end of a sprint. I dropped everything that I could to launch Paper Raven Editing, and after three months, let's be honest, I am tired. I must now pause, recoup, and pick up those bags I dropped. I have to figure out how to walk forward with the website, clients, business classes, my own writing, kids, exercise, eating healthily, visiting family, and all those important parts of life.
I must remember that I don't always have to run in order to make progress. Of course, running is more exciting. With a new project, adrenaline surges and I see progress in a short amount of time. When I have to slow the pace, however, that's when resistance sets in. In these moments, I have to call on patience and perseverance.
I remind myself that there will be times to sprint, but right now is a time for learning to walk steadily toward my goals, one step at a time.
What about you? Are you running with a project? Or have you run for as long as you can and are now walking, progressing slowly? Or are you pausing to look at your compass and map to figure out what direction you should be walking?