forward is a pace

7 years ago, I learned how to be a web developer by going through a 6-month intensive programming boot camp. It was quite an experience. After finishing the bootcamp, I worked as a software engineer at a Boulder startup for the better part of a year. It was fun and interesting to make such a big switch, and it left me with some great technical and problem-solving skills that I use every day. Ultimately, however, I decided that web development was NOT for me. I need to interact with people. I need to sit with human beings one-on-one and talk about deep stuff. Staring at a screen all day solving problems by myself made me sad.

But back to the bootcamp. Our instructor, Craig, was a seasoned programmer with lightning-fast skills and a dry sense of humor. As you might imagine, teaching a group of people with little to no experience writing code to be functional developers in 6 months is no small task. As a student, I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder…not even for my doctoral degree in music. Between studying and completing programming assignments, I was putting in 60-70 hour weeks. Craig was full of motivational mantras and sayings, and one in particular has stuck with me ever since:

Forward is a pace.

It means, keep moving forward. Even if it’s slow. Even if it’s painfully slow! Even if you sometimes have to take two steps backward. Moving forward means you’re making progress. And forward, as a direction, is a pace.

In those 6 months, I needed to hear that mantra over and over again. The bootcamp was incredibly challenging. Most days were full of frustration and problems that felt impossible to solve. I often wanted to cry or bang my head against the wall. In the end though, I got through it. I learned to write code and even did it for a living for a while. It wasn’t easy, but I made it happen.

As an ultra runner, I use this mantra a lot. Forward is a pace. Keep moving. If I’m running too fast and it feels difficult, I slow down. If that’s still too hard, I walk. Even a slow walk is a pace. Sitting on a rock next to the trail isn’t a pace. It’s not getting me closer to where I want to go…but a slow walk is.

Forward is a pace.

I share this mantra with my coaching clients as well. When I’m sitting with a human who is making a change or deliberately creating something they want, progress can feel elusive and painfully slow. But get this: even holding a positive intention is moving forward. Putting your focus on a goal is moving forward. Taking small, ridiculously-easy baby steps toward your goal is part of that forward pace. Even noticing that nothing is happening…in a way, that’s moving forward too, because everything worth wanting takes some degree of time to materialize. Noticing time passing is part of moving toward your goal.

When you’re working toward something and you notice it’s not happening as quickly as you’d like, what do you do? Do you get discouraged? Do you slow down or procrastinate? Do you distract yourself with Netflix? Do you decide ‘it’s never going to happen anyway’ and give up?

How about staying on the path, putting one foot in front of another, and finding a sustainable effort? Can you notice that you’re moving forward, and that’s a pace?

I know my message is so simple as to be easily overlooked. Making a life change or creating something big is exciting and rewarding…some of the time. And sometimes it feels like watching paint dry. Sometimes it feels slow and boring and painful.

What if you realized that every step forward, whether that’s taking a small action or merely being patient, means you’re on pace to reach your goal?

Forward is a pace, my friends.

Keep on moving, no matter how slowly. Because time will pass, and every moment that you keep your sights set on your goal will lead you there eventually.

Want to move forward but feel like you’re stuck? Click here to schedule a free connection call with me. We’ll sort it out! And for more juicy life stuff, tune into my podcast, coming home (to yourself). As always, may your week be filled with self-love and rich insights. With love, Amy ♡♡♡