I’ve been thinking about how easy it is to fall into an all-or-nothing mentality.
We want the result, so we think we have to go fast especially in this world of instant gratification.
We want to see the benefit sooner rather than later, so we push harder, do more, expect more, and then feel discouraged when things don’t change overnight.
But anything lasting usually takes time.
I have to remind myself of this often, especially because so many of the good things in my life did not happen quickly.
Some Things Take Time Because They’re Supposed To
My YouTube channel has been a long game.
It took time to build an audience. It took time to learn how to vlog and be a story teller. It took time to learn how to edit in a way that felt like me. It took time to figure out how to talk on camera without feeling so stiff and awkward.
And honestly, it took time to learn how to sound more like myself where it didn't feel performative. My goal was to relax and sound more natural, like you were sitting right there in front of me and we were having a conversation.
I actually hired someone to help me because I knew I could be better, but I wasn't quite sure what was even wrong.
None of that happened because I rushed it.
It happened because I kept showing up every day. I kept practicing, I stayed consistent, I kept making videos, kept learning what worked, and kept letting myself be bad at things long enough to get better.
That is the part we forget sometimes.
We see the finished thing, or the result, or the person who seems comfortable doing the thing we want to do, and we forget that there was likely a long stretch of awkward effort behind it.
If you want evidence of how I've changed over the years and learned this craft of vlogging that was so foreign to me, all you have to do is watch my first video to see the difference.
I cringe a bit when I see myself in that first video, but I also love that woman who jumped in without knowing what she was doing and decided to do it anyway, because she had a dream.
I’m Trying to Remember This With My Health Too
I’m reminding myself of the same thing with my health, weight loss, and working out.
I’m not trying to go as fast as possible. I’m not trying to punish myself into progress. I’m not trying to do so much that I burn out, injure myself, or end up quitting because I made it too hard to keep going.
I’m trying to take it slowly.
One day at a time.
One workout at a time.
One better choice at a time.
That does not mean I don’t care about results. Of course I do. But I care more about building something I can actually sustain.
Because fast progress can be exciting, but lasting progress usually asks something different from us.
It asks for patience, consistency, and it asks us to keep going even when the changes are small and not very dramatic or even when we stumble.
Slow Doesn’t Mean Nothing Is Happening
I think a lot of us confuse slow with failing.
If something is not changing quickly, we think it must not be working.
But slow progress is still progress.
The small things you repeat are still becoming something, even when you can’t see the full result yet.
And maybe that is the part I’m trying to hold onto right now.
I don’t need to rush every good thing in my life. When I was traveling I would say often that it's about the journey, not the destination. I believe that still applies to most things in our life.
Sometimes the slower way is the way that actually lasts and provides us with the outcome we desire.
A Little More of This in The Story Post
This is also the heart of what I try to bring into The Story Post each month.
Not in a big, overwhelming, “change your whole life” kind of way. More in the way we’ve been talking about here. Small thoughts, shifts, and reminders that we don’t have to rush through every part of our lives to feel like we’re making progress.
Each envelope includes a personal letter from me where I write more deeply around the theme for that month. It’s where I share the story behind what I’ve been thinking about, what I’m learning, what I’m noticing in my own life, and how it connects back to slower, more intentional living in a real and practical way.
Then there’s the prompt card, which is meant to help you bring that theme into your own life. Not as homework. Not as another thing to achieve. But as a small place to pause and ask yourself, “How does this show up for me?”
That’s the part I really love about it. Plus the prompt cards are meant to collect. I make them the same size every month with cute little rounded corners so you can save them and pull them out when you need a dose of inspiration or motivation.
The envelope becomes more than an art print or a recipe card, even though those beautiful pieces are part of it too. It becomes a little monthly invitation to slow down, think about your actual life, and maybe make one small micro-adjustment where needed.
Because that’s often how lasting change happens.
Not by overhauling everything overnight. But by noticing something, sitting with it, and choosing one small way forward.
Each month’s envelope includes the letter, an art print, a recipe card, a prompt card for intentional living, and a little extra goodie tucked inside. It’s something thoughtful to receive in the mail, but it’s also something you can return to when you want a quiet moment with yourself.
Today is the last day to join if you want to receive the July envelope.
The mail club will still be open after today, but new signups after the cutoff will automatically begin with the August mailing.
So if you’ve been meaning to join for July, consider this your practical little tap on the shoulder.
Join The Story Post Snail Mail Club - It's a fun way to get a unique art print that I create, a personal letter by me, slow living prompt card, recipe card, and a few extras each month.
You might be wondering why there is this picture of Georgie sleeping. Because she's so darn cute and I rarely can capture a picture of her like this. ❤️
