A Powerful Step to Take Every Day

Are you feeling out of sorts right now? I know I am.

Sometimes I wonder why. Then I remember there are five major reasons.

First, we are in the middle of global pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 200,000 people in the United States.

Second, we are experiencing the financial fallout of an economy partially closed down to fight Covid.

Third, we are in the midst of an important drive for social justice and racial equality.

Fourth, we are experiencing climate change more intensely with extreme heat and widespread fires.

And fifth, we are in a most unusual political environment, punctuated by an unprecedented presidential debate this week.

Our ‘Surge Capacity’ is Under Siege

Simply articulating those reasons brings relief. These are major issues to contend with. And it’s exhausting to do so, day after day after week after week after month after month.

In the words of Tara Haelle, writing on Medium, our “surge capacity” is depleted. Our ability to deal with an intense and ongoing crisis has reached a low point.

Ya think?

And yet …

And yet, hope lives on. As I often recount the many seemingly horrible things that happen on any given day while I can’t help but doomscroll through my news feed, I’ve found a positive step to take. It changes the dynamic. It puts me back in charge of my life, both professional and personal.

A Powerful Daily Practice

Each day, I write down at least one good thing that happened. Usually there are many more than one. They often become obscured by the heaviness of everything else that’s going on in the world. But when I consciously call up the positive moments, I’m reminded of the importance of making progress every day, no matter how small or insignificant the step seems.

It’s a concept articulated by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer in The Progress Principle. What motivates us most, they say, is the powerful feeling of making progress every day toward our most meaningful goals.

What I realized is there’s a great deal of progress happening every day, even if we don't see or feel it. Those days add up to weeks and months and significant milestones.

For example, I’ve completed more than 100 coaching hours this year and almost a certification (next month!) to go along with that. My husband Kevin opened a new restaurant last month, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Even though we’re limited to outdoor patio dining of about nine tables, people are loving the experience. My son is making progress toward his college degree through online courses. I’m fulfilling a dream of my own by teaching (remotely) in an MS program for communication.

Good Things Take Time

Not only do these milestones indicate progress, but they also demonstrate the importance of patience. Often, good things take time. Here are just a few examples …

• A coaching certification process: 1 year
• Starting to teach at the graduate level: more than 1 year
• Beginning work with an exciting new client: more than 1 year
• Kevin’s restaurant: 2 years (really 23, counting a snippet of a long-ago conversation).

Life goes on during a global pandemic, economic upheaval, civil justice, climate change, and political campaigns. What are you doing to make progress in your life right now, every day?

These are the actions to celebrate and to motivate you to carry on and make change. These are exactly the sorts of things you can share on social media, to inform and inspire others.

What steps will you take today?

This article appeared on my blog about how to build your career through social media. You can get a free copy of a workbook, Your Social Media Success Roadmap, by joining my email list. You’ll also get a monthly email update from me with tips on boosting your career through social media. Here's to your health and well-being during these turbulent times!