Done Slowly is better than Quickly Abandoned

“How we paid off 50k in debt in 2 months!”

“How I lost 100 pounds in 3 weeks!”

“How I wrote a book in 48 hours!”

I see these types of titles on everything from magazine covers to Youtube videos. The idea of doing something huge in an insanely short amount of time. It’s so easy to get sucked into that mindset. That everything has to be done now. That I should have six pack abs in two weeks, or triple my income in 6 months. It’s exciting, enticing, and gives us that quick-fix we all love. Who wants to read “how I lost 50 pounds in 5 years!” basically no one, even though it’s just as big a deal, and probably would have a lot more realistic suggestions in it. We’re obsessed with overnight successes and lottery winners. Who cares about the chump who spent years toiling away on a project? Give us the American Idol winner!

I also love to get stuff done quick. Preferably quickly and perfectly, obviously. Unrealistic goals for myself are something I still constantly catch myself setting. Set myself up for failure, not come close to reaching those goals, and then give up and beat myself up for it for years. If you’re thinking “wow that’s so unhealthy” you would be correct. But it’s an epidemic in our society. We want it now, or not at all.

We all know the story of the tortoise and the hare, yet none of us (myself included) take it to heart. Whenever I set myself a new goals I always expect myself to reach it in record time. I actually did pay off about 10k in debt in less than a year when I was 20 (and I was only making barely more than minimum wage at the time) but looking back I actually think the long, painful process of learning to run was a way bigger achievement for me. I am so glad I did buckle down and pay off that debt while I was living rent free and could scrimp and save more easily, but the lessons I learned from the excruciating process of teaching this anti-athletically inclined body how to run have been way more useful to me.

It’s been hard to accept, but the one thing I’ve learned looking back is that if the process is slow, it’s probably working. It may not feel like it, it may seem like the finish line is years away, but if you’re constantly making small moves and changes, you will eventually get there.