Want to "get back on track?"

I have bad news and good news. It’s the same news:

Your journey probably won’t be linear. 

Not for your career.

Not for your relationships.

Not for your confidence.

Not for your eating.

Not for your body size or body image.

It’ll get better and then worse and then better and then worse. Whatever “better” and “worse” mean, anyway. Then it will go sideways and backward and to the right and the left and the southeast and northwest.

It may, overall, look like an upward trajectory. Or maybe it won’t.

Whew. Do you feel how exhausting it is? All those different directions?

This is bad news because it can be friggin’ annoying that your life won’t progress like an arrow, zooming towards its destination. This is bad news because so many of us take comfort from having a clear trajectory, a narrative that is easy to explain and predict — and we may not have that.

But it’s also good news. If you feel like you're “off track” today or this month or this decade…it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re actually going in the wrong direction.

Of course, this isn’t to say that you can't grow or make significant progress in the direction that you care about! I’m a coach, for goodness’ sakes. I help my clients do that all the time.

But it does mean that just because your journey seems zig-zag-y, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong. You might just need to take a breath, ask for a hug, and buckle up. 

Superfans may notice that I originally shared this essay in the past. While I’m on maternity leave, I’m sharing some of the best posts from my archives — I hope you enjoy! :)  

As always, I’m rooting for you. You’ve got this.

Katie

A reminder for when it feels like other people are getting ahead of you in life

Here’s a reminder:

You’re allowed to go at your own pace.

And even: You may not have a choice, but to go at your own pace.

Other people may seem like they’re sailing through — making the smart decisions, getting the great opportunities, doing so well with their career and relationships and art and bodies. And that’s great.

But your journey may not be so linear, and it may not be so fast.

This is not to say that you shouldn’t try. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t make changes when appropriate, do deep self-examination, and put in the work.

But it is to say that your pace may be different than theirs, and that’s allowed. And more than “allowed,” it may be inescapable. Inevitable.

Sure, we may not be grateful for the roadblocks and wrong turns and burdens that have slowed us down. But our pace is our pace.

How does it feel to at least stop fighting it?

I know you’ve got this.

Katie