Getting from A to Z

I have been thinking a lot lately about progress. When I set my mind to something, I want to only move forward and never backwards.

But it never turns out that way.

It seems that for every step forward, I take two steps back. When I am trying to eat healthfully, I do well for a few days and then binge on something sugary. When I want to be more consistent with my Yoga, I practice for several days in a row and then miss a few.

I used to beat myself up about these setbacks and oftentimes would throw in the towel completely on whatever I was trying to accomplish.

At some point, I realized that getting from A to Z is never a giant step. It is a few steps forward, some steps back, a lot of failure, and a lot of experimentation.

And that only gets me to B.

I now know that moving forward and back, and occasionally sideways, is part of the process and that getting from A to Z takes a lot of steps along the way.

Knowing this allows me to give myself some grace and latitude in making progress, and it makes the journey a whole lot more enjoyable.