Break Free, Stay on Pace: Your Path to Hitting the Mark

Today’s Topics

• On Pace or Missing the Mark?🛤️

• One Step Away from Breaking Bad 💥

  5 Mins Read Time

On Pace or Missing the Mark?🛤️

By Jo

In life, we often find ourselves asking, Am I on pace, or did I miss the mark? It’s a common question that haunts many of us, whether in our personal goals, career ambitions, or even relationships. The truth is, progress doesn’t always look the way we expect it to, and sometimes, it’s hard to gauge whether we’re on track or falling short.

Defining the Mark

Before determining if you’ve missed the mark, it’s essential to understand what that mark is. Are you chasing someone else’s goals, or have you clearly defined your own? The first step to answering this question is having a clear vision. If you know exactly what you're aiming for, it’s easier to recognize progress—or the lack of it. When you have no defined target, everything feels like you’re off course.

The Illusion of Falling Behind

Society loves to set benchmarks and timelines for success: milestones to hit by a certain age, career achievements, personal goals. But one size doesn’t fit all. Just because you aren’t where you thought you’d be at a certain point doesn’t mean you’ve missed the mark. Progress is messy, unpredictable, and sometimes invisible until you look back and see how far you’ve come.

Checking Your Pace

Being “on pace” isn’t about perfection; it’s about consistent effort. Ask yourself: Am I moving forward? Even small, incremental progress is still progress. Sometimes, being on pace means slowing down to refocus or re-energize, while at other times, it may mean pushing harder.

Reevaluating and Adjusting

It’s also important to recognize that missing the mark isn’t the end. If you fall short of your expectations, view it as an opportunity to learn, adjust, and adapt. Missing the mark doesn’t mean failure—it’s feedback. It helps you reassess your approach and refine your strategy moving forward.

Trust the Process

Whether you feel on pace or like you’ve missed the mark, trust the process. You’re allowed to evolve, shift your goals, and adjust your expectations. Progress isn’t a straight line, and often, it's the journey of navigating setbacks that pushes you toward success.

The most important question isn’t whether you’re on pace or off course—it’s whether you’re still committed to the journey. Keep pushing forward, and don’t let the fear of missing the mark define your progress.

One Step Away from Breaking Bad 💥 

By Marcus

If you’re familiar with the popular TV show Breaking Bad, Walter White is one of the most iconic characters in recent entertainment history.

Walter White, a family man and high school chemistry teacher, receives a terminal diagnosis and decides to turn to a life of crime. He’s initially a victim of a series of unfortunate events and pursues selling drugs as a means to provide for his family and survive. As the series progresses, Walter becomes more consumed by power and legacy.

Was who Walter ended up being in the end the “real him,” or did circumstances shape him into the monster he became?

The Cost of Conformity

Conformity has its role in creating a functional society; however, it is not without its downsides.

Most of our innovation comes from not being satisfied with the status quo. We can lose a sense of who we are and our potential because we feel we need to fit into a particular “mold.”

In the story of Walter White, he demonstrated throughout the series a deep knowledge of chemistry, analysis, and innovation. He also displayed an ability to adapt. With this skill set, he could have pursued a high-paying career (with much less risk) in chemical engineering, pharmaceuticals (legal pharma), or entrepreneurship.

Has “fitting in” cost you at any point in your career?

Break Away From Limitations

Instead of Breaking Bad, maybe let’s explore breaking away from the limitations society and career roles have placed on you.

Take your interests, skill set, and experience, and ask yourself: What’s the highest level you can perform at? Are you where you think you should be, or do you believe you are capable of much more?

Defy the odds by continuing to challenge yourself to push the limits of your capabilities.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

-Nelson Mandela

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