Growth Isn’t Linear, We Need to Stop Expecting it to Be

Something came up for a client the other day, and it’s something I’ve experienced 1st hand in my life after prison.

Growth. Growth. Growth.

Progress. Progress. Progress.

Then it happens.

A screeching halt — followed by the sinking feeling of falling backward, followed by one of the most frustrating sentences ever,

“I’m back here again.”

“Here” isn’t really a place; you can’t find it on a map. But you can certainly feel it.

And it sucks.

You experience all this growth and progress on your goals — and BAM — you’re back “here” again.

It’s frustrating, and it can be enough to make you stop altogether.

But there is something wildly significant to understand when you’re back “here.”

Growth and progress are not linear.

Your current “here” is higher than your last “here.” Your next “here” will be higher than your current “here.”

Growth and progress are a series of ups and downs, with each up being a little higher than the last up, and each down is a little higher than the previous down.