Progress Isn’t Always Visible

We’ve all heard the saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Yet how often do we do just that, especially when it comes to ourselves?

For me, it might be a class I’ve just taught, something I’m writing, a run I’ve finished, or my yoga practice.

When someone else is teaching, I’m often the first to compliment their ability to hold space for others or the quality of their teaching voice. In my creative writing class, I do my best to offer feedback that is both constructive and encouraging. And as my regular yoga students return week after week, I can easily see the progress they’re making. Whether it’s simply showing up when they’re struggling or noticing how the quality of their breath has softened, I see it.

But my vision isn’t always as clear when it comes to myself.

The other day, I managed to carve out some time between meetings to work on my drop backs.

I set up my stack of foam pads and began with a simple backbend, placing my hands on the edge of the pads and pushing up from the floor.

Then I stood and slowly bent backward until I spotted my marker at the far edge of the pads. I stayed there for a few breaths, feeling my spine bend backward, before finally allowing my hands to find the edge of the stack. I didn’t try to come back up. I simply released to the floor and stood again.

On the next attempt, I tried to hover a little longer before landing on the pads. This time, I rocked my hips forward, shifting more weight into my hands and allowing my shoulders and upper back to release. Once again, I lowered myself to the floor and stood up.

Then I tried another.

This time, I could feel my weight shifting forward enough that my hands became light on the edge of the pads. I stayed with it, and I came up to stand.

When I watched the video afterward, there was no visible improvement from the last time I’d worked on drop backs. My heels still lifted, and the movement wasn’t particularly graceful.

But something had changed.

There was a discernible difference in my mind. I approached the movement with less apprehension and more confidence. I knew I could do it…and I did it.

Even better, I could recognize that progress instead of picking apart what I saw on the video.

THAT is progress.

Perhaps the next time we’re quick to notice what someone else is doing well, we can extend a little of that same generosity to ourselves. Sometimes our 1% improvement isn’t something anyone else can see. But that doesn’t make it any less real.