sometimes you gotta build slow 🚧

From The Inner Circle OCT 7, 2024 newsletter. Get emails weekly. Subscribe

Sarah Bond first and only Black woman president at XBOX and at any major multinational gaming company. Sarah poses with a smile and arm on hip wearing a green dress.

STAYING MOTIVATED WITH NO RESULTS

It can feel empowering to be a pioneer in your family, community, or industry as a first and only. But it can also be incredibly frustrating when you’re putting in the work and can’t see the growth or movement forward.

You’re showing up, doing everything you’re supposed to, but where are the results? Where’s the progress? Why does it feel like nothing’s happening?

It seems like it’s all happening for everyone around you, but you. And all you can do is wonder why?

The reality is you can work day in and day out, and not see immediate or tangible results. But, you have to hold on to the belief that the greatest shifts could be happening beneath the surface and in ways that haven’t been revealed to you yet.

Don’t get discouraged in feeling like you’re stuck or get caught up in the fallacy that your work isn’t impactful. When you’re doing the unprecedented, sometimes the build is slow and you may not get immediate reward.

So how do you stay motivated when you can’t see the fruits of your labor?

Remember your why Reconnect with your purpose. Why did you start this journey in the first place? What drove you to become a trailblazer, to carve out your own path? When you’re not getting external validation, let your inner purpose guide you forward.
Acknowledge your “small” wins. When you’re waiting for big results, it’s easy to overlook the smaller victories. But those small wins are crucial—they’re signs of progress, even if they don’t feel monumental. Tracking these wins can help remind you that you are moving forward, even if it feels slow.
When in doubt, zoom out. It’s easy to focus in on the now, and wallow in despair because “you should be further along in life” or “seeing more results.” But zoom out and think of now as a point on your timeline that lays the foundation for where you want to be in the future. Living out your vision, depends on your ability to be consistent now.

Image of a flower with "What needs to happen for you to keep moving forward?" overlay text

Even if you’re not getting an immediate reward, keep going. You’re planting seeds for the future. Your work, your persistence, and your dedication now, will bear fruit in the future—it just might take a little bit of time.

In the meanwhile, trust the process, keep showing up, and know that forward movement is happening in ways you can’t always measure.