This blog post has been authored by Panagiota Panagiotaki, Up Life Psychology – Success Coaching Services
One of the biggest obstacles a person will face when working towards a goal is not a lack of progress. On the contrary! It is not appreciating the steps they have already taken!
This is because these steps occur at a slow pace every day, while at the same time we are called to be involved in many other activities. So our attention is split among many different tasks and we end up not realizing the progress we make on a daily basis.
Frequently, we only focus our attention on the ulterior goal we want to achieve. But we are unable to see the distance we have already traveled since the beginning of our venture.
Usually, the problem is that we do not comprehend what kind of skills and strategies we have used, nor how many others we have developed along the way, nor how many difficulties and obstacles we have already successfully encountered before reaching the current sub-goal. Nor do we realize or appreciate the many new experiences we have already accumulated while on this path towards our goal.
Therefore, we focus only on the shortage and not on the fill, that is, we focus on what he have not accomplished rather than on what we have already accomplished.
Because of this attitude, we become impatient and consequently we undermine our faith in the goal we have set.
Our impatience gradually turns into a permanent complaint and a source of negative thoughts nourishing our mind. In turn, these thoughts cause a flood of negative emotions in us, such as fear, stress, anxiety, discomfort, anger, frustration, disappointment, rage and so on.
If we experience these negative emotions, we move away from our goal-setting. We forget how much progress we have made. Our negative emotions are discouraging and may cause us to stop pursuing our goal altogether.
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This is the phenomenon that I call the “Illusion of No Progress” and it can happen to all of us. It succeeds in moving us away from our Creative Goals, but also in preventing us from enjoying our lives and being content with and rejoicing in our achievements.
When we are conscious of every step forward, even the small daily steps forward, we can get rid of this illusion.
We need then to recognize at every moment the course of our evolution and say Well done” to ourselves for every achievement, however small it may seem.
In addition, we need to feel grateful for every step we take. The power of gratitude is enormous and transformative.
Panagiota is a Success Coach, Cognitive Psychologist and Author. She was born in Athens, Greece, and after living in Paris, France, for many years, she is currently back to her native city. Her clients are from all around the globe. She has extended research and scientific experience (National Scientific Research Centre, France), advanced training to Buddhist meditation techniques (shamatha, vipassana, the Four Immeasurables) and to emotional education teaching techniques. Her work focuses mainly on Emotional Intelligence Education & Empowering Personal Boundaries in order to Achieve Creative Goals and Ensure a Well Being.
She is a certified member of the Association of Greek Psychologists and the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA-EuroPsy), with the right to practice Psychological Activity in 21 countries in Europe. She is the published author of two books in the Greek language (“The Handbook of Dream-making: A Life-Coaching Fairy-Tale For Adults”, 2013 & “And Gods, have they grown older?”) By Archetypo Editions, Greece. She is also the author of two ebooks: The Power Of Gratitude (2019), and Goals (2019, new edition 2020).