Progress looks easier in hindsight than it ever felt while it was happening. Watching a time-lapse of a painting I worked on over two weekends, it looked smooth, almost deliberate. It did not feel like that at all.

This phenomenon often leads us to wonder

why progress looks easier in hindsight

There were pauses and second guesses. Moments where I changed things that had taken time, and others where I stepped back because I was not sure what to do next. Feedback and suggestions along the way also helped shape the final outcome.

The progress itself was anything but smooth.

Watching it back, I realised how a time-lapse hides the effort, the apprehensions, and the second-guessing that actually make progress possible.

Life and at times, work, feels much the same way.

Some of what we do comes from experience, but a lot of it comes from intent, common sense, instinct, and hope. Doubts and course corrections are part of the everyday routine.

What we do have is motion. We try things, adjust, sometimes undo decisions we were confident about not long ago, and then move forward again.

Most days, it does not feel like progress. It just feels like grind.

Maybe that is the part the time-lapse hides.

And maybe, like the painting, we are doing better than it feels in the moment.