Walking to the Horizon

Every time I make an improvement in some process, I begin to see other improvements I could make. This has a good side and a bad side. The good side is that I make my processes better and better.

The bad side is that there is always a gap between the process I have and the process I want. Sometimes the gap motivates me. But when I live in the gap for too long, I feel it only as frustration. I grow tired.

One day a metaphor popped into my head. I'm trying to walk to the horizon. For every step I take, the horizon recedes by exactly one step. No matter how far I walk, I'm never any closer to my goal.

"Good grief!" I thought. "No wonder I'm tired!"

Then I had an idea. Whenever I notice that walking-to-the-horizon feeling, I can turn around and look back at where I've been. I can notice the tiny steps I made yesterday, the good deed I did the day before that, the major accomplishment I scored just last month. When I realize just how far I've come, I can take a breath, enjoy the moment, and smile with satisfaction at the journey I've made so far. Then I can take the next step with renewed hope and energy.

How far have you traveled lately?