You are further than you think!

We are already in May, and it’s easy to feel like the year is running ahead of you. And if you are a goal-getter like most in this community, you might be tempted to think you haven’t done enough! But before you jump to conclusions or rewrite your entire life plan, let me remind you of something simple but powerful,  “progress is progress even when it doesn’t feel dramatic.

Even if you feel like you are nowhere near where you thought you would be, you have made progress. You don’t need fireworks to validate your growth. You don’t need a viral moment or a perfectly crossed-out checklist to say you have made progress. Whilst  those things are great, it is also true that real progress happens quietly in the background of everyday life. It’s in the days you chose consistency over comfort. In the boundaries you are setting. In the decisions you make with long-term impact in mind and in the small, brave steps you take without applause.

Here are five steps to celebrate progress and refocus for the rest of the year because looking back is important.

1. Do a 4-Month Review:  We are often told to keep our eyes on the prize, but the real magic happens in the messy middle. Before you jump into the next thing, take time to review what worked and what did not. This will help you decide what to continue doing, what you need to stop doing, and what you need to start doing.  Take a few minutes to write down everything you have achieved so far this year, personal or professional. Don’t filter or downplay. Just list.

2. Highlight the Small Wins: Circle the ones that felt small but took courage or discipline and consistency. They reveal who you are becoming. Even the tiny wins help you see how far you have come and fuel your confidence.  I keep a journal where i write everything. As a family, we also have our gratitude jar where we all put every single thing we are each grateful for each week.

3. Revisit Your Goals: Look at your goals from January. What still matters? What needs refining? It’s okay to pivot. When you have new information that you previously did not have, it’s totally okay to change your focus. Goals evolve as we grow, so adjust without guilt.

4. Choose A Few Focus Areas for the Next Month: Do not overwhelm yourself. Pick a few areas to nurture. It could be one small thing related to your career, like signing up for that course.  It could be your finances, like automating your investment straight into your brokerage account. If it’s your physical well-being, it could be finally committing to those ten thousand steps per day. And if it’s your relationships, it could be committing to set aside time to connect intentionally. What one small action can you take this week?

5. Write a “Note to Self”: Encourage your future self. Write down one sentence you want to remember the next time you feel like you’re not doing enough.

Remember to celebrate as you go because sometimes success doesn’t show up in one giant leap. It sneaks in through consistent, compounding effort. The people who reach their goals are rarely the ones who sprint all the way. They are the ones who just keep showing up, step by step, even when it’s not glamorous..

Do not wait for the big wins to start feeling proud. You’re doing better than you think!

Gratitude: This week, I am grateful for how far I have come. It might not be where I would have wanted to be, but I am definitely further than where I started from!