We're at the final blog article in this series.

(Check out parts 1,2,3,4 if you need to catch up)

So far we've talked about the following steps...

Today, I want to share one final word on this to make sure that you keep moving towards your goals and get to the other side of the transformation.

Once you start the Art of Steady Progress it won't go completely smoothly. There will be days that are harder than others. In fact, there will be days that downright suck.

It will not be smooth sailing. It won't be perfect. And there will be days that feel like a total grind. Like you can't do anything right. Or you feel like you've completely blown it and that you'll never reach your goals.

You'll feel like you want to give up. Throw in the towel. And forget that you ever had a goal.

That's what this blog post is all about. It's a heads up that this WILL happen.

You're not going to get out of it.

It's like the universe steps in and asks, "How bad do you want this?

And you say "Bad!" And it says, "Oh yeah? Prove it."

And then it throws you a curve ball or two. These could be external curve balls, or they could be the internal kind.

And you have to keep going, doing the best you can in the moment.

Knowing it doesn't have to be perfect.

In fact, it's NOT going to be perfect.

It needs the best you can do in the moment.

Since we've been talking about weight loss, I'll use that as an example.

Let's say one day you have a complete meltdown and eat a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting.

This is after following your plan 95% of the time until that point.

But this day you go off the rails in a big way.

You're feeling like shit.

You're feeling like you've blown it.

You're feeling like you are NEVER going to get to the other side of that damn transformation.

And it feels incredibly hard to assess that day with any kind of positivity.

You feel like there was nothing positive about the day at all. All you want to do is think about what you did wrong. How big of a loser you are. And how impossible it all is.

When you feel like this, that is when it's most important to follow the steps I've outlined.

Start with the assessment. Find that one thing that did go right. There is something. It might have been the hope and optimism you felt in the morning. It might have been the short walk you went on. It might have been the fact that you took a shower in the morning.

Find something positive.

Anything.

Write it down if you have to so it feels more real.

And then feel into that moment. Feel the hope. Feel the water on your skin as you took your shower. Whatever it is, stay in that moment for a bit.

And then finish the rest of the assessment with as much objectivity as you can muster.

Do your best.

It won't be easy because you'll still feel like shit.

But this is where it REALLY matters. This is where you start to fix things. You start to make that steady progress I've been talking about.

This is where you start building the habit of solving your problems so you can reach your goals.

It's in this moment when all you want to do is beat yourself up and go down the "I'm worthless" road that you can turn things around.

Find a different way. An objective way. A learning way.

Learn from the experience.

What happened?

It wasn't because you're a worthless human being that sucks.

What triggered you?

Maybe its as simple as you're not ready to keep an entire half gallon of ice cream in the house and eat only a half cup.

Maybe it's just that your plan wasn't realistic enough for where you are right now in your journey.

But now you know.

You'll get there.

Just not today.

Once you know what happened, you can ask yourself...

What would have been a more realistic plan?

Maybe buying a pint of ice cream and giving yourself permission to eat the whole thing and putting that into your realistic plan.

And then the next time would have been to eat the entire pint and leave one bite. And then leave two bites. And so on.

Keep moving. Slowly. The Kaizen way.

Keep creating your realistic plans.

And realize that when you go off the rails, it's most likely that your plan wasn't realistic enough.

The step you tried to take was too big for where you're at right now.

And wasn't because you're a worthless human being that doesn't deserve to reach her goals.

Breathe. Remember to be kind to yourself. Go back to the plan. And try again. This time with an even smaller step if necessary.