Progress is a byproduct, not an end.
Our dogmatic pursuit of progress is toxic and a sure way to build an unhappy and unfulfilled life. We should rethink our relationship with progress. Here's an alternative view...
We are constantly bombarded by social messages that suggest we should always aim to make progress;
We’re sharks - if we’re not moving, we’re sinking.
We’re in an economic recession because our economy didn’t grow [growth=progress]. This means life will suck.
Our economy needs to grow.
If you don’t grow, you will fail, perhaps as a human being.
If you aren’t making progress or being productive, you’re a failure of a human.
This thought process is the same that underpins our world's dominant economic model: progress [profit] = welfare.
But progress is a toxic raison d’etre.
It assumes that if we’re not moving forward or progressing, we fail.
If our economy doesn’t move forward, we fail.
We are forever lost if we constantly aim for progress as if it were an end, not a means.
If we treat life as if it were a treadmill and consider our only goal to be ‘ progress’, in the end, we will have racked up many hollow miles of progress, but none of the time and effort is of significance, purpose, or meaning.
In other words, the mindless and dogmatic pursuit of progress = Wasted lives. Wasted time.
So, let us stop idolising progress.
Let us focus on what matters.
And, in case you’re wondering, it is up to us to define what matters.
For me, what matters is joy, seeing those I love flourish and experiencing the moments in life that are wonderful (and often lost in the blinkered pursuit of progress). Finding happiness and peace. Being a good human and supporting those who don’t have the privilege to afford the life I have been so lucky to experience.
But whatever your raison d’etre, whatever you decide is your ‘what matters’, let it not be a mindless pursuit of progress. Let it be for something. And the progress you make will be a byproduct of living a life worth living and moving toward your goal.
PS: All my work is free to access (I don’t believe in paywalls). I write to share what I've learned in case it helps someone. If you’d like to support my work, you can subscribe here.
Thank you for reading, and have a great day ❤️
Dee.