When I was little, I used to be so flexible that when I did a backbend, my feet could easily touch my nose. I was always the appointed ‘model’ for the class. I thought I’d become a dancer when I grew up (don’t get me wrong, I thought I’d become many other things too 😬)—it’s natural to imagine continuing something when you’re good at it.
But that thought didn’t last long. I had to quit and focus on school when I entered third grade. Twenty years later, I never practiced again… until last year when I started picking up yoga.
I always had a feeling that at this age, my flexibility wouldn’t be anywhere near as good as it used to be, and I purposefully avoided finding out if it was true. I was afraid to discover I wasn’t good enough.
And I was right. When I finally decided to try again, it’s undeniable—I’m nowhere near as good as I used to be.
You know, even if reaching a new milestone seems daunting and requires a lot of resilience, I think we often underestimate how much courage it takes to get back up to an old milestone, and we don’t give ourselves enough credit when we do. It can feel embarrassing to put so much effort into regaining something we once had, rather than chasing something new and exciting. Like if we used to be at 10 and our goal is to get to 100, but we’re currently at 3, it seems easier to think about finishing those 90 steps than to climb the first 7 steps in front of us.
Logically, it doesn’t make sense, but psychologically, I get it. Forget about comparing to others—even if they’re at 1 or 2—all we see is that we’re at 3. Unlocking new milestones always feels more accomplished and exciting, doesn’t it?
But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Even if we aim to get back to 10, which might seem like an old milestone, we tend to overlook that the steps to get there are completely different from what they used to be. In fact, the goal might appear the same, but the paths we take are ever-changing—simply because we are ever-changing, and the environments we’re in are also ever-changing.
And that’s key. It’s not about trying to get back to where we were, but celebrating every new step we take, whether it’s 4, 5, 20, 30, or even if we’re back at 1 or 2. Just like how 3 PM today looks the same as 3 PM yesterday or tomorrow on the clock, they’re still different 3 PMs because they’re on different days.
Maybe it’s never about getting back to where we once were. Maybe it’s about overcoming the imaginary mental block we set for ourselves and realizing that every step we take from this moment is a new progress that deserves celebration 🎉
Comments