Sometimes The Smallest Steps Are The Biggest Victories

The past 14 months have been a huge rollercoaster for me with my PCS recovery. And to be honest, most of the time it felt like there were only deep lows.

Yes, mentally it has been a pretty tough year – and it still is sometimes.

But as with all setbacks, this period has also taught me a lot. I will take the life lessons I learned from this with me forever.

Previously, I was someone who only looked at the big milestones. It felt like only those things really mattered. And that only those things showed that you were growing in life.

If you are healthy this can already be a burden. Just imagine if you are sick and your whole life is at a standstill, and you may even have to take a few steps back.

So yes, I made it very difficult for myself mentally. Something had to change.

Especially since my recovery didn’t go with big steps. It went with small ones. Very small… Even that small that sometimes you couldn’t even see them. But they were there! Definitely. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be at the point where I am today.

With the help of my boyfriend, a gratitude journal, and a psychologist, I slowly turned this mindset around.

Because the thing was, one way or another, I had to stop comparing day to day. Instead, I had to look at a broader period, and only focus on the things that went well.

Think about being able to walk outside for a few extra minutes. Unload the dishwasher or cook a meal without symptoms. Watch an episode of my favorite series without only 1 break instead of 2.

As you might understand, this wasn’t easy and definitely didn’t happen overnight. But by focusing more on these small steps, it often felt like success instead of failure. And if there’s anything that motivates you, that’s it!

So recently I was very excited when I could cycle through Amsterdam for 5 minutes without feeling overwhelmed. Or that time when I was finally able to play tennis for 10 minutes without immediately getting a headache.

These steps may sound very small to others, perhaps even like they don’t matter, but for me they are my biggest victories right now. So yes, they matter to me. A lot!

Even when I feel really bad for a few days in a row, I think about where I was a few months ago and all the steps I have taken in the meantime.

Because every step you take, no matter how small or how slow it is, is always one more step than if you haven’t done anything at all.

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One response to “Sometimes The Smallest Steps Are The Biggest Victories”
  1. Greetings from Iowa! I can relate to this in some ways. These past couple years were a nightmare for me as well, and for similar reasons that also included unemployment. Getting back on track, and also recovery from an illness means one step at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and moving forward takes time. You got this!

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Hi there, I am Resy! Here on Femmelution I hope to inspire women to invest in their personal development to become their most empowered selves. In my bi-weekly column I write about my own experiences within this topic, but also about anything else that is on top of my mind lately.