“Watch your way then, as a cautious traveler; and don’t be gazing at that mountain or river in the distance, and saying, ‘How shall I ever get over them?’ But keep to the present little inch that is before you, and accomplish that in the little moment that belongs to it. The mountain and the river can only be passed in the same way; and when you come to them, you will come to the light and strength that belong to them.” M.A. Kelty

There’s something soothing and comforting about these words, isn’t there? I love the idea that there’s a “little inch” of progress in the “little moment that belongs to it”—that if we just move forward steadily moment by moment, we will find ourselves farther along.

Setting goals for ourselves that take us out of our comfort zones can really improve our craft and be very satisfying. But those goals can also be intimidating. We can find ourselves compelled to look up at the “mountain or river in the distance,” and feel discouraged because they seem so far away.

But if we set those goals, then let them recede, and shift our attention to the job at hand, they become like North Stars—they guide us gently.

So let’s give ourselves those far-reaching goals—let’s stretch ourselves. And then let’s shift our gaze to that “little inch” right in front of us. It might be wrestling with a difficult paragraph, or unraveling a knotty plot point, or simply meeting the daily writing target we’ve set for ourselves.

Moment by moment, we can move forward with our work. Inch by inch, we can fill our pages with work we feel proud of. And if we do this steadily, we’ll make constant and continuous progress. Write on!

Please help KWD grow by sharing: https://karinwritesdangerously.com/