A Humble “Not Yet” Comes in Handy

I feel like a pessimist when I shake my head as an answer to whether I’m growing in certain facets of life. At the same time, stating that I lack something seems like self-bashing.

I’m talking about the conversations that I have with myself when I assess my improvement and introspect.

Questions like “am I getting there?” and “am I close to being competent,” pop-up naturally.

But responding to them gets complicated, because how I answer those questions also sets my attitude towards those aspects of life.

It’s a tricky situation because I’d rather not lie and remain completely honest with myself. At the same time, I don’t want quash my morale.

I don’t want to come off as irresponsible – so I’ve found that adding a modest response like ‘not yet’ comes in handy. It certainly does help in keeping my hopes fresh as I’m working.

Here’s how it works:

Instead of half-heartedly accepting that I’m falling behind or crushing my self esteem with needless grief, I remind myself that I’ve played my part.

  • I’m not a flawless strategist … yet
  • I haven’t written 500 blog posts … yet
  • I’ve not completed a gran fondo … yet
  • I don’t know something … yet

Now, I may not be the damn good person I’d want to be … but I’m on my way. I’ve been working to get there.

Did I fall behind? Surely, but that doesn’t define whether I’m capable or not. I hold on to my faith, believing in myself, and it’s no mystery.

I walk this path every day.