One of the most important lessons you can learn in life is that progress is not linear. As much as we value progress and improvement, it would be a lie to say that they are constant, no matter what social media tells us.

Between the place that we are and the place that we want to be, there is life to be lived and experiences to be savoured. If we are constantly chasing results, or the next perfect photo for social media, we risk missing out on moments and the joy of the journey.

With 24/7 internet connection, we are constantly fed the lie that we should be growing or improving in every area of our lives, all the time, and made to feel like a failure if we don’t. The truth is, you’re not a failure – the idea of constant progress and improvement across all areas is ludicrous.

Become a CANWIP

Consider any area of your life where you are making progress, trying to make improvements, or working towards achieving mastery – this could be in work, fitness, relationships, hobbies, etc. These things all take an investment of time, practice, effort, consistency and patience. In order to achieve your goals, you need to become what I call a CANWIP – a constant and never-ending work in progress.

There really is a lot of merit in the saying “life is a journey, enjoy the ride”. While there is nothing inherently wrong with ‘going for it’ and striving for perfection, in order to get there you need to have time in the ‘ugly zone’ and embrace the struggle.

There is still a beautiful life to be lived in the in-between time, which so many of us risk missing out on by chasing perfection, or berating ourselves because we haven’t ‘made it’ yet. Steady progress while enjoying the journey will enable you to live a fulfilled life, rather than a stressful highlight reel.

A smorgasbord of myth, half-truths and fact

The other major area of myth and misconception in wellness lies around nutrition. With the amount of nutrition science available to read online and in the public domain, I think it’s safe to say that most of us know a little bit about nutrition. But therein lies part of the problem – small pockets of knowledge, fuelled by our biases, education, the media and big corporates, have led to a smorgasbord of myth, half-truths and facts all vying for prominence.

Given all the information available, along with access to qualified nutrition professionals, there are still some myths that persist. Carbohydrates have taken more than their fair share of abuse – many of us go on low-carb diets when we begin a new exercise regime, especially when the focus is on losing weight. But carbs are not the enemy and, usually, over-eating is the problem! Carbs are an important source of fuel to provide energy for exercise, as well as sustaining life.

Here’s to healthy carbs and finding fulfilment, living in every moment.