Progress and Breakthrough: Celebrate your wins

Today I want to talk about progress and breakthrough.

Take a moment and think about something you made progress on this week. Maybe you hit a fitness goal, made progress on a work project, closed a deal or got closer to one, made a sale, strengthened a relationship, or worked on something within yourself. It doesn’t have to be anything huge, it could be as simple as controlling your emotions a little better (that’s mine, lol). 😂

Sometimes we convince ourselves that our progress isn’t enough simply because we haven’t seen the breakthrough yet. But that’s not true! Every breakthrough is built on intentional steps.

For example, if I want to teach one of my patients to wash his hands independently, I can’t just expect him to walk up to the sink one day and do it. First, we teach him to go to the sink. Then turn on the faucet. Then push on the soap dispenser. Rub his hands together. Put them under the water. Dry them. You get the point. 

Parents will sometimes ask me, “When is my child going to be independent?” And I completely understand why, but sometimes we’re so focused on the end goal that we forget to recognize everything it takes to get there.

And it made me think… how often do we do the exact same thing to ourselves?

“When am I finally going to get my Raptor?” (my husband 😂)“When am I finally going to have my house with a pool?” (me 😂)

Those are the breakthroughs we’re waiting for. But when we constantly focus on what hasn’t happened yet, we stress ourselves out over a future we can’t control instead of focusing on the steps we can control today.

What about:

“Wow, I paid off some debt this month.”“I saved a little more than I did last month.”“I handled something better than I would have six months ago.”“I’m one step closer than I was yesterday.”

That’s progress.  Those are the intentional choices we make every day that slowly move us closer to the things we’re praying and working for.

Sometimes we’re asking God, “When is it finally going to happen?” while overlooking all the little ways He is already moving us toward it.

So today, instead of stressing about the breakthrough you haven’t seen yet, be grateful for the progress you HAVE made and be intentional about the progress you can make today. Celebrate your wins. Give yourself some grace. You don’t have to be at the finish line to recognize that you’re moving in the right direction.

“Progress is proof that you’re not standing still”.

Keep showing up. Keep taking intentional steps. Keep trusting the process. “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him.” — Romans 8:28

So today, instead of focusing on where you’re not yet, ask yourself:

“What intentional steps have I taken to get closer to my goal, and what intentional step can I take today?”

We can’t always control when the breakthrough comes, but we can control what we do today to move toward it.