In our day to day lives, we can all get bogged down with what we‘re not doing rather than what we are. This can give us a false impression of the progress we’ve made and can obscure how far we have come. The pandemic and the new working from home culture that has evolved from it has disrupted the balance between work and downtime, and for many of us, on furlough or spending more time at home, the pressure to fit something in at every hour of the day can be a lot.

When you’re not doing anything particularly ‘productive’, it can be easy to beat yourself up about it. But I’m here to remind you that progress isn’t linear. If it were, we’d all be where we want to be, instantaneously. Primarily, this is because life is inherently unpredictable. There will be days that are written off for a myriad of reasons, or even years, depending on everyone’s personal situation.

So don’t get down in the dumps if you are not where you want to be yet - and instead - focus on where you are right now and what you have done.

Often, I can get down in the dumps about being behind in my career and the fact I’ve spent nearly every day at home since March 2020. On bad days, I can take to social media and compare myself to people (especially those younger than me) and marvel and their positions. But then I remember how important this abundance of free time has been for me.

If it weren’t for the pandemic, I probably would have launched into some graduate job I wasn’t that keen on, never discovered my love for writing, and my anxiety would have spiralled. Although I may not be where I thought I would be by this age, there are other things I have achieved that I am proud of, especially when I make an effort to reflect on how far I’ve come.

Take my writing on Medium as one example. On the left is my total reach from just two months of writing on Medium. On the right, after eight months, is what it looks like today.

I’m having a bit of a rough time with my writing now, especially on Medium. But when I look at that side by side, I realise just how much progress I have made. It puts everything into perspective. I can guarantee you’re making progress in whatever you are doing, but perhaps, you don’t realise it yet.

Articles

• For those that fear change and recognise that it impacts their anxiety, this is one to read. Watch Out for This Concealed Sign of Anxiety, Eliza Lita, Mind Cafe

• I love Zulie. I love her cats, her writing and her invaluable YouTube videos about writing on Medium. But she’s also killing it with freelance work. This is the dream, right? An inspirational article. How I Earn $8K+ Per Month While Only Working 15 Hours Per Week, Zulie Rane, Start it up

• Great coverage of such an important issue that’s being ignored by the mainstream media. Care Leavers Facing ‘Vile’ Assessments in Postcode Lottery when Becoming Mothers, Sophia Alexandra Hall, Byline Times

Books

Jo Cox: More in Common, by Brendan Cox (biography)

As local elections are on the horizon here in the UK, I’m reminded of how much was lost when Thomas Mair murdered Jo Cox during the Brexit referendum campaign. Jo’s life and her approach to politics should be a reminder to us all that regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum, we do have more in common than what sets us apart.

Politics should be less divisive and binary, and it is a shame in recent years that it has become this way.

'Jo Cox's selfless service to others made the world a better place' Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States

Articles I wrote this week

1. What are Local Elections and Why Do They Matter? Backbench UK

2. Working as a Bookseller Convinced me to Always Prioritize Books, A Thousand Lives

3. Should Writing be Approached as a Marathon or a Sprint? Writer’s Blokke

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   As always, I hope this newsletter finds everybody well! Remember, you make a little bit of progress every day, even if you don’t think you are. Until next week! Violet x