Progress Charts: When the Journey Matters More Than the Boxes

Ah, progress charts. Those color-coded masterpieces of achievement. For years, they were my personal badge of honor, a visual celebration of every step, every workout, every intentional moment to move. But 2024? She was a rebel year. No chart. No rainbow of filled-in days. And honestly? I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

Let’s rewind for a second. Last year, I had surgery that temporarily benched my ability to move like I used to. Then February hit, and so did my poor foot—straight into a break. If I’d had a chart, it would’ve been more blank days than not. And I wasn’t about to let a glaring reminder of what I couldn’t do overshadow everything I could. So, no chart.

Fast forward to today, and my phone has been pulling up those "memories of years past" (because Apple loves to tug at our reflective heartstrings). There they were: my joyfully colored-in charts. Every square was brimming with proof of my work in those years. And next to them? 2024—bare, empty, uncolored.

But was it really empty? Not even close.

This was the year I launched a podcast and started a newsletter. I used the power of my voice in ways I never had before. I found joy in connecting with others and building something bigger than myself. And when I could move, oh, did I move. I climbed mountains. Ran miles. I leveled up my fitness in ways that pushed me and reminded me that blank spaces don’t tell the whole story.

Here’s the truth: Whether we have a chart or not, life is happening. Progress isn’t always something you can check off or color in. It’s messy, layered, and sometimes, it looks like resting when your body needs it or saying "yes" to something new and scary.

If you’re missing your own chart or beating yourself up over blank spaces, remember this: life fills the gaps. Gratitude fills the gaps. And sometimes, looking back is all it takes to realize how much you’ve actually accomplished.

As for me? I’ll probably start 2025 with a crisp new progress chart and 10,000 steps on January 1 (because, let’s be real, I’m Type A like that). But this time, I’ll also remember: the chart doesn’t define the year. I do.

So here’s to progress, whether it’s marked or just felt.