We Are All Human

It’s easy for us to compare ourselves to other people whose successes look effortless or who seem to have it all. But that’s not fair to yourself and your own situation. Everybody’s different, and everybody has their own way of getting where they need to go. I’m never going to be an Olympic medalist, but I can still push myself to do some pretty impressive things on my own terms. And so can you. 

Don’t forget to celebrate your successes along the way, too. Each small goalpost you pass brings you closer to your big one, and that’s a big deal. Financial planning is just like planning your training for an athletic event. Each week and month that passes, you can track your progress. Maybe you’re celebrating shaving a few seconds off your mile, or swimming one more lap than you could do the week before. The same principle applies to watching your savings grow or your debt shrink. Be realistic about your timeline, and keep track of what you accomplish.

The secret of overnight success is usually the years of invisible work that preceded it. Often, we’re able to extend that knowledge to other people without applying it to ourselves. We get frustrated or beat ourselves up when it feels like we’re going nowhere.

That’s where planning and tracking your mileage comes in. When your goal seems impossible, take a pause and look back at where you started. You might not be at the finish line yet, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t come a long way.