“Progress, of the best kind, is comparatively slow. Great results cannot be achieved at once; and we must be satisfied to advance in life as we walk, step by step.”

Samuel Smiles

In today’s world of microwave popcorn, drive-through lanes, and instant slow-roast coffees, it’s difficult to deal with not-so-instant results.  Even in professional sports, coaches are now getting fired after a single season.  Yikes!

There is an enormous pressure to produce and achieve 10-minutes before you even start, in our society of “Now Isn’t Fast Enough.”  To combat this, I try to manage my clients’ expectations.  If we can grasp the concept put forth by Abraham Lincoln’s words, “I’m a slow walker, but I never walk back,” we actually have a shot at realizing great results.  If we don’t decide to finish before we start, no matter how long it takes (and sometimes it takes a really long time), we have doomed ourselves from the outset.

We’ve all heard the cliché about marathons and sprints, ad nauseam, but what made it real for me was to actually go run 26.2 miles.  It took me months of running, and more running, just to be able to spend the more than 5 hours of slogging it out.  Slow? Yes, very slow.  Months of 60 mile weeks.  Barely able to walk to the bathroom in the mornings.  I’m a slow runner, but I never go backwards.

If you aren’t mindful that progress may be slow, you’ll end up quitting before you even really get started.  If you have been grinding for a long time, and you are tired of how long it’s taking to achieve those great results, just remember, you are so much closer than when you started; keep going forward, never backwards.

If you are committed to achieving great results, bring some MREs and a sleeping bag, you’ll most likely be a while.

Boo yah!