Is still progress.
Pick any project—it doesn’t matter if it’s something you’ve assigned to yourself or something your boss has given you. It could be a huge, long-term project, or something that should take less than a week.
Chances are, that project will turn out to be harder than expected. It will require effort that nobody saw during the planning process (whether planning consisted of a 5-minute conversation, or a multi-month series of meetings and discussions).
Here’s something else about projects: even when we’re given full ownership, most of us will try to find ways to make sure we’re not fully responsible for the outcome.
But no matter what, the project remains. We own it. We also own the goal of getting it done right.
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Chinese Proverb
Progress is made through consistent effort, one step at a time. Then another. Then another. It’s the steps toward the goal that matter, almost as much as the goal itself.
What if some of the steps we take are the wrong ones? What if we have to go back and redo some of our work? What if somebody sees us make mistakes along the way?
Each of these are (almost) guaranteed to happen.
Embrace it. Learn from it. Carry on.
Keep stepping forward. Learn along the way and give yourself permission to take a step (or two) back from time to time.
The progress you’re making is the reward.
Grandpa Bob Encouraging Leadership 