This post originally appeared on Anna’s 1st blog, Annamotion.
I’ve been working hard at this for months and I’m wondering if it’s been a waste. I’m not seeing the fruit of my labor yet. I must not be improving at all!
Have you ever thought this?
Perhaps you’ve been strength training for weeks and still have not seen a noticeable difference in your body. Perhaps you’ve been playing guitar now for several months and still have nothing to show for it. Perhaps you’ve tried to improve your writing by making yourself write for a little bit every day, but you’re beginning to wonder if you would be better off spending your time on something else.
I’ve been there. I AM there. I have to constantly remind myself of the truth…
It takes time to see results.
Just because you’re not seeing significant results right now doesn’t mean you’re not improving.
This summer I did a 30 day ab challenge, plus I was working hard on arm strength. I felt discouraged when I could not yet see the physical results of all of my hard work. I keep record of my exercises so I can track my improvement; I noticed that my arms were not yet improving. The amount I could do went up and down…until one day.
One day I could do significantly more than I ever could before! It had just taken time for my muscles to build back up, but once they did, I finally knew it was working and it would all be worth it if I kept pressing on. By the end of a month of working hard on abs and arms, I finally saw a difference. A very small difference that I’m sure only I could have noticed because I had taken a “before” picture, but it was a difference nonetheless.
I say all that to show you that it took me almost a month to even begin to see results. It takes time.
One of my favorite quotes is by Albert Einstein:
Though Einstein had genius-level intelligence, he did not just wake up one day to his level of knowledge, skill, or capability of solving all of his problems. It took time.
The ones who grow and become great at what they do are those who keep at it and persevere. They constantly give it their time, even when they are not seeing significant results yet.
If you’re thinking to yourself “that’s great, Anna, but I just don’t have that kind of time,” then read this post, my friend: “I’m too busy to spend time on self-improvement.”
You might also be thinking “but I hate starting from the beginning. I just want to be perfect at this right now!” If you are that person, then I suggest this post for you: “I have to be perfect at this right now.”
So what now?
Action Steps
Keep record.
I know I’ve said this before in another post, but it really is so helpful! Keep recording how you’re doing, even if it seems discouraging to you at first. You may not see it now or for awhile, but you will eventually be able to see the improvement and it will make it all worth it!
Reward yourself.
Results are rewarding, so long periods without results can be difficult. In the meantime, find a way to reward yourself.
Be smart about it. i.e. if you’re trying to lose weight, don’t eat a doughnut after every 2 minutes of running!
But find a way to reward yourself.
Some of the rewards I find most helpful are rewards that relate to what I’m trying to improve in. For example, “if I run regularly this month and keep to my goals, I will buy myself legit running shoes.” This kind of reward gives you something to look forward to, plus it will motivate you to keep going with new goals. If I just bought new running shoes, I won’t want to let them sit, collecting dust in my closet. I’ll want to use them!
If you’re learning guitar, you could reward yourself with new picks or a new guitar book to learn new songs. If you want to be a better disc golfer, you could reward yourself with a new disc. If you want to be consistent in exercising, you could reward yourself with a new workout outfit. Sometimes I reward myself with a new book I’ve been wanting after I’ve successfully completed a good semester of school.
You get my point. Reward yourself with something that will motivate you to keep going after your first goal is reached.
It also does not have to be related. After 3 months of keeping to your goals, you could reward yourself by getting a massage, buying a new movie or game, or going out to eat.
A reward system works great, especially in the beginning when you won’t be seeing significant results yet. When you make it to the point of seeing results, I promise you it will be worth it and that will be the best reward.
Join the Seekers of Growth!
We are a team, a family, who is saying no to complacency and taking our growth seriously. If you’d like to join our community and receive updates and bonus materials (exclusive to subscribers), then find one of the form boxes (you can find one by scrolling down on this page), fill it out, and hit SUBSCRIBE. You will receive a welcome e-mail from me soon!
Leave a Reply