Some days, the best we can do is trudge ahead one step at a time. You never know when you will be dumped on in life, in health, in weather. And when these days (or sometimes weeks or months) come around, all we can do is trudge ahead to get through! I live where snow is common, and abundant, for almost half the year. In this image, I’m creating a trail after a 20+ inch snowfall. I’m struggling. It’s hard work. I’m trudging along one step at a time.
Similar to life, we never know when a “dumping” will take place. And when it does, it feels like we have to start from scratch to create a path to go through it. This can mean that where we once moved ahead smoothly, we have to work extra hard to make any strides.
When we trudge ahead during difficulty, it tests all our mental and physical capacities. It's exhausting. It can take all of our concentrated effort to go forward. Yet, once we move a little bit further and things begin to pack underneath, it gets a little easier, until eventually there is a solid and stable path we can follow.
As we tackle challenges we gain a strength. The more we trudge ahead when we have an obstacle to confront, the stronger we become within. We prove to ourselves that we can overcome difficulty one step at a time.
Sometimes, leadership can feel like it’s all about the trudge ahead. We take on challenges only to realize half way through we have regret for even starting. Yet if we just continue, we reach a point where the path becomes clearer. We show ourselves (and others) the struggle can lead to triumph. Let's be honest, if we're not trudging ahead sometimes, we most likely aren’t challenging ourselves.
Keep in mind, as we trudge ahead, we have resources that can help us keep moving. One example is by identifying an accountability partner. I have some vIdeas to help guide you with the question “Are you feeling stuck?” Just know, you are not alone.
So as Ralph Waldo Emerson so famously put it “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”. I would like to add, with the 20+ inches of snow sometimes this means you have to trudge ahead slowly.
KerryOn Questions
- What areas in your life have you trudged ahead and succeeded?
- What areas in your life are you currently trudging ahead or feeling “stuck”?
- What resources (people, information, process) are available to support your trudge ahead?
The Kerry behind KerryOn
My name is Kerry K. Fierke, Ed.D. (pron. Fear-Key) I have a unique combination of skills and experience – decades of fast-paced corporate experience in Fortune 100 companies and large health care organizations, combined with the academic rigor of a highly ranked research university. My focus is supporting others to create their own path to leadership development, lifelong learning, and a unique leadership legacy. Take a moment to focus on leadership, then KerryOn!
To see all KerryOn's and other leadership stuff, visit www.kerrykfierke.com.
Sometimes it feels like we (myself included) have forgotten the legacy laid down by people who came before us: good results most often come as a product of plain old hard work. Especially when the outcome may be ambiguous, it's hard to summon the will to "trudge" down a new path. And yet, I've found, that's where the best stuff is: self-confidence, new perspectives, appreciation/gratitude, knowledge/experience, etc. Those are the real, long-lasting rewards of the trudge work.