Progress Felt Like a Lie—So I Chose Something Better Than Perfection

The Grind with No Applause

There’s a certain kind of frustration that hits when you’re doing everything right—but still feel like nothing’s happening.

I know that feeling all too well, especially when it comes to my career. I’m someone who performs. If you give me a job, a project, a responsibility—I will own it. I’ll show up early, stay late, dig deep, and do whatever it takes to get the best outcome.

But there are moments—especially during those company-wide reward announcements—where your name doesn’t get called.

You sit there thinking, I gave it everything I had. I’ve been grinding for months. And still… silence.

It feels like a punch in the gut. And worse? It makes you question the whole journey.

Was any of it even progress?

When Perfection Becomes the Enemy

For a long time, I believed in hitting every goal and doing more. Every day needed to be productive. Every hour had to be maximized. No wasted time. No off days.

That’s how I measured growth: by output, by streaks, by achievements. If I wasn’t moving forward visibly, I thought I was falling behind.

But what I didn’t realize back then was that chasing perfection every single day doesn’t leave room for real, lasting growth. It creates a version of success that’s so brittle, it breaks the moment you’re not at your best.

When Progress Felt Fake, I Chose Habits

Eventually, I hit a point where—even though I was doing “all the right things”—I still didn’t feel like I was getting anywhere.

It was mentally exhausting. I was pushing but not moving. And that’s when I realized something had to change.

I stopped obsessing over performance and started focusing on habits.

Small things. Daily routines. Repeatable actions.

No more chasing instant wins. No more tying my worth to whether I was recognized this quarter. I chose to focus on what I could control: my effort, my habits, my patience.

And slowly, something shifted.

The Growth You Don’t See

The biggest surprise? As I leaned into the small, consistent things, I started to grow in ways that weren’t measurable—but were meaningful.

I became more grounded. I stopped spiraling every time external validation didn’t show up. I was no longer working just for applause—I was building a version of myself that could thrive with or without it.

I started noticing progress in the way I handled stress. The way I bounced back from setbacks. The way I kept showing up for my family, my work, my goals—even when I didn’t feel like it.

That’s the kind of progress you don’t see on spreadsheets or scoreboards.

But it counts. In fact, I’d argue—it’s the kind that matters most.

To Anyone Feeling Stuck Right Now

If you’re reading this and you’re in a season where everything feels like a grind and nothing seems to be working, I want you to hear this clearly:

Don’t give up on the goal.

You might not be seeing results yet. You might feel invisible. But building habits—day in, day out—will carry you forward, even when motivation disappears.

You’ll start uncovering pieces of yourself. Bits of strength, clarity, and discipline you didn’t know were there.

And eventually, without even noticing, you’ll look up and realize: you’ve become someone stronger than the version of you who once needed immediate proof that things were working.

Real Growth Doesn’t Always Make Noise

Perfection is addictive, but it's also fragile. It crumbles under pressure.

What lasts is what you build in the quiet. The habits. The effort no one sees. The choices you make when no one’s watching.

So when progress feels like a lie—choose to keep going anyway.

And one day, your life will be the evidence of every small, quiet win that got you there.