Progress is neither a goal to achieve nor a final destination to reach

Progress is a process and, as such, it is messy, dirty, non-linear and continuously changing.

Progress cannot be standardised; it is different and unique for every person. Something that might feel like failure to someone, can be a step forward for someone else. 

Many see progress as the path to reach a status that, once obtained, grants them the right to sit down and switch off. But that is not progress, for two reasons mainly:  

• the direction of progress cannot be defined, planned or decided in detail. Progress might lead you to unexpected places and situations and the only way to find out where it goes next is to take another step forward, and another and another again 
• progress is never ending: there is no finish line to cross when it comes to progress. No matter how many big or small steps you will take and milestones you will achieve, there will always be more waiting for you. The choice we can make is to continue or stop. 

Progress cannot be forced on anyone; progress is a choice, it is the commitment to walking a windy path, while remaining open and curious to learning and evolution. 

Alternative to walking the path of progress is to close ourselves to evolution, learning and discovery. This, to me, means to stop living. And don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about going to the moon, inventing a new device or making a life-changing discovery; progress goes from drinking your coffee with the non-habitual hand, to learning how to tie your shoes, to learning to balance on your hands. A life lived with awareness and presence is progress.