Any progress is good progress. Rome wasn’t built in a day. You can’t edit a blank page etc. Don’t expect to go from a lazy, unstructured layabout to Mr efficient marathon running supersoldier overnight, over a week, over a month, hell even over a year – this is setting (often deliberately) unrealistic expectations for yourself and setting yourself up for disappointment.
Deeply ingrained negative thought loops and harmful habits take time to overcome and redirect into positive ones. Our brains are adaptable and It will happen eventually, but it’s done incrementally, and it takes time, consistency and resolve.
Lastly, everyone runs their own race at their own pace – don’t compare your progress to that of anybody else, no matter how similar you believe yourselves to be. The only person you should compare yourself to is your younger self. Another crucial axiom to remember when pursuing goals is “Never give up on a dream goal because of the time it will take to accomplish. The time will pass anyway.”
Theodore Lee is the editor of Caveman Circus. He strives for self-improvement in all areas of his life, except his candy consumption, where he remains a champion gummy worm enthusiast. When not writing about mindfulness or living in integrity, you can find him hiding giant bags of sour patch kids under the bed.