Running in the morning made me understand one thing: we start at different points with different paces and finish in different time. Most importantly we have different arrangements physically and emotionally that push us to reach our limits.

By Emile Fakhoury
You should not compare your position or performance to other runners as they are set up differently. The best thing for you to do is to perform at your best and consequently enjoy the view!

Similarly in your professional life and career progress is never linear. You should not compare your status to others as this will add frustration and stress to your life. It does not reflect the real image you should focus on.

Progress evolves in different patterns but this does not mean that you might go back to the start, it just means progress comes with some ups and downs on the way.

Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. (Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth)

I believe both personal and professional progress are not linear. We all go through setbacks as a normal part of life. It is how we respond to those challenges that determines if we are going downwards, stagnate or grow and develop.

What matters is the ‘how’ to our behavior to the career variants that determine our progress and success. When a change or stress occurs in your career, it is normal for us to experience regression.

We must learn how to recognize those changes in life and implement plan to get back on the course.

These include practicing self-care, accessing support, thinking positively, and taking action to move forward. The plan should make the regressions less intense.

If you are experiencing this change, do not fear that you are back at ground zero. Life is giving you an experience to grow. Remember, this is a temporary phase that will pass, contributing to the evolution of your progress.

No matter what your step back is, remember that it happens to everyone.  Even though we know the benefits of making continual progress, there will be times when you will take a few steps backwards.

We feel that we need to continually make progress and never allow ourselves to be comfortable with taking a few steps back. This is the mistake, and it can set you up for failure.

A good habit is to focus on your development and progressively make yourself better over time.

What separates the runners who make continual progress is not how many times they succeed, but how quickly they get up if they fall and make improvements going forward.

Emile Fakhoury is a Business Professional working in the water and energy sector. He publishes regularly on corporate matters at The Levant news.