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I talk about regression, it is easy to lose a crowd. People do not want to regress. People want to advance and grow every waking day. That’s fine. That should be fronted and championed. What happens though is that the science of growth factors in the idea that you will have to regress.

My point is that if you knew all that there was to know about a particular subject that you want to advance in, why in the world then is there no smooth sailing in every accomplishment? A baby has an innate desire to walk. The baby first tries to sit up and every day they regress in some way.

To Regress is To Progress

Guess what? That is how they end up progressing. In other words, if the baby did not regress, they would simply get up and start walking. Right? It seems to me like in every advancement we would like to make, we should prepare ourselves to regress one way or another because that is the way.

Why is it that we regress before we progress? First of all, it is the growth continuum. No one is an expert at anything at birth. No one is a genius at the first asking. No one knows everything acutely. Every development and growth is through a process. That’s why the first time you try something, you should be open to failing.

The Enemy That is the Brain

The second great reason as to why we regress has something to do with our brain. The brain’s function is to minimize disappointment and energy. It is to maintain the status quo. So when we try something new and fail (at first), the brain registers it as a negative, thus a regress. Therefore, going forward, the brain would want to shield us from another attempt of the same.

At the end of the day, we find ourselves in a fixed situation. At one end, one of our primary needs in life is to grow and to develop. On the other end, one of our other primary needs is to be certain of no pain and therefore maintain the status quo. In other words, even if we want growth, it is a fearful thing to get it because of the possibility of disappointment.

To Risk or Not To Risk

We would rather stay with what we know that be disappointed trying to get better. We do not want to regress at any cost.

This happens in many areas of life. It happens in relationships, marital relationships at most. We want the best of the best but we are unwilling to regress in the process of gaining our treasured bliss. It happens in workouts. We want to be healthy and fit but we are unwilling to regress and feel the pain of the process.

Shifting the Mindset

So we end up in a state of apathy at worst, but at best, we end up hating to regress. As much as we hate to regress when we are attempting to be better than we were, we are not growing. There is no growth that I know of that is devoid of regression. All forms of growth and development have to go through a season, especially in the initial stages where we regress before an upturn comes our way.

So what Should we do?

1. Celebrate When We Regress

This comes from identifying the fact that to regress is to progress. I know nobody wants to start by failing. But do not be fooled by what they call failure especially if it is in the inception stages of something. That should be expected and that should be factored in.

As a matter of fact, some strong and progressive start-ups project this time. It is a time of loss of time, resources, friends, loved ones, and other trusted people. If you have not planned for this, you will not celebrate the regress, but you will end up giving up altogether. When you do, it is like a farmer who has just dug up the seeds at the moment that they were sprouting. Stay on course and celebrate the regress.

2. Be Patient

With a changed mindset that a regress is a growth especially in the early hours of starting something new, one needs to arm themselves with patience. In other words, you are not necessarily looking forward to progress, but you are embracing a regress.

You are fully aware that it is in the growth continuum that you will mature. You are also aware that you deserve to regress because you are not a master (yet). You are aware that it is through the regress that you learn how things can be done better. Think of the man who invented the light bulb after a regress after regress one thousand times over. Be patient.

3. Be Consistent

They tell us that compounding is the eighth wonder of the world. It is not just in the application of money, but also of habits and actions. I know someone will shoot back and say that Einstein told us that doing the same thing over and over again and each time expecting a different result is madness.

Well, in this case, you are aware that you are in a growth continuum. Going to jog over and over again and each time expecting a better pace is not madness. It is consistency. Even when you regress, be consistent in the action that you are taking.

Once the systems have gotten a hang of it, that so-called regress will be noticed to have actually been a store of power that comes alongside to help by providing impeccable momentum. So, you were not regressing, you were storing up power!

4. Get Accountable/Get A Mastermind

This is one of the most powerful things you can do to overcome a regress. You get in touch with other well-meaning people. At first, you can be held accountable by some who are not doing what you are doing. That will keep you going even during the period that you feel a regress.

At the other level, you get in touch with people who are doing exactly what you are doing. So, when you go through a slump or when you regress, they are able to identify with you and will be in a good position to help.

Besides, you will find yourself actually helping others who are struggling, and I can tell you that one of the best ways to overcome a regress in your life is to help someone else who is worse of in their regress than yourself.

There is potent power available in your disappointments, regressions and slumps. It is feedback that you are doing something. Be patient, stay on course and soon enough (can be days, months, years or decades depending on how big your pursuit or how strong your hunger is), you will see tremendous light at the end of the tunnel.