July 12, 2025
3 min read
We’re told to set goals, to chase milestones, to focus on the finish line. It’s how we’re wired to measure progress.
“I’ll be happy when I land that job.”
“Once I get there, I’ll finally feel successful.”
“I’ll finally rest once I get there.”
But here’s the catch: “There” keeps moving.
Every milestone we reach just gives way to a new one. The finish line turns into the next starting point. And before we know it, we’re sprinting through the very work we once wished for.
I’ve been there—more than once. I’ve found myself in that trap more times than I’d like to admit. Especially in creative work, where the benchmarks keep shifting and the definition of success feels like a moving target. You finish one project, and suddenly the next one is already waiting—with new expectations, new pressure, and no pause in between.
It’s easy to miss when you're chasing a metric.
But the truth? The most transformative growth never shows up as just a line on a resume.
It shows up in the rejections you bounce back from.
The days you feel stuck, but keep going anyway.
The times you question your ability—then find a way through.
That’s where the real work happens. That’s where you are being built.
At some point, I realized I was sprinting through the very thing I once dreamed of doing. Instead of enjoying the process, the learning, the building, the quiet wins, I was always rushing to the next checkpoint.
I was hungry.
And here's the truth: That mindset doesn’t just rob you of joy. It robs you of growth.
Because growth doesn’t happen when you hit the goal.
It happens in the messy, uncertain, beautifully in-progress middle.
It happens when you try something that doesn’t work—but learn what does.
So now, when I think about success, I try not to frame it as a single point in the future. I see it as a series of moments.
The destination is still there, of course. But I’ve stopped rushing toward it.
I’ve realized that if I don’t learn to love the journey, I’ll never feel fulfilled—no matter how far I go.
“Everything is happening at once; past and future are constructs of the mind.”
Think life is a series. Not a single peak. Not a finish line.
But a sequence of moments—some big, some barely noticeable that shape who we are.
You don’t always see the full picture while you’re in it. But one day, you’ll look back and start to connect the dots—the late nights, the quiet progress, the lessons that didn’t make sense at the time.
And you’ll realize: they weren’t just steps on the way. They were the way.
When we stop obsessing over where we’ve been or where we’re going, we start to actually live. We notice the rhythm of now—the process, the breath, the work, the joy.
If I succeed, I’ll be happy. If I fail, I’ll be wiser.
And that’s something I’d tell anyone on their own path, creative or otherwise:
Celebrate the micro-wins. Embrace the process.
Progress is happening—even when it doesn’t feel like it.
So if you're feeling like you’re falling behind, here’s your reminder: Progress doesn’t always feel like momentum. But it’s happening.
Because one day, when you look back, you’ll realize the destination wasn’t the moment you arrived at. It was the whole damn journey.
Take it easy, kid.