Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

We’ve all heard the saying, “one step forward, two steps back.” This refers to a situation where a person just can’t seem to make progress, no matter what they do or how hard they try.

Instead, I think we should adopt the saying, “two steps forward, one step back,” which focuses more on ability to move through whatever situation we’re facing, even if the process is slower than we’d like.

Obstacles and opposition are a part of our daily lives. Sometimes it seems like we’re making progress, only to have an unexpected obstacle come along to trip us up a bit.

We must learn to persevere — to push through and to overcome whatever situation we’re facing.

As long as we don’t let life’s setbacks keep us from moving forward, we’re going to end up further ahead from where we began.

What to do when it feels like you’re just not making the progress you hoped for:

• Don’t give up
• Don’t get stuck or let setbacks keep you from pushing on
• Tackle one thing at a time — don’t feel like you have to take it all on at once
• Focus on any progress that was made instead of the setback itself
• Keep a positive attitude
• Stay busy so you don’t fall into a funk of depression or disappointment

Oswald Chambers said, “If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a time of great personal growth ahead.”

Recently, it feels like David and I have experienced a few setbacks. We went for 7-8 years without having any surgeries. Then, about 18 months ago, David was diagnosed with cancer in his right leg.

Since then, we’ve had five surgeries.

After feeling like our lives had gotten into a somewhat “normal” routine, we’ve been forced to go back to the Operating Room several times, deal with lots of follow-up appointments and be reminded that David’s initial injuries still have a major impact on our lives.

We’ve had to put many of these practical tidbits into practice over the past few weeks because it’s easy to let the obstacles of life overwhelm us. We’ve had to be intentional about remembering just how far we’ve come and to not let ourselves get stuck thinking about the setbacks we’ve recently faced. If this last surgery is successful, David’s right leg will finally be healed and covered with much thicker skin, which is more durable in the long run. That’s a really good thing, even though we’ve had to endure more surgery.

Life is a journey of peaks and valleys, ups and downs, taking steps forward only to take a few steps backwards. Our struggles are part of the growing process — we get stretched and we are able to learn more about who we truly are in times of struggle.

David and I aren’t the same as we were before his accident, and we won’t necessarily be the same people tomorrow, because our goal should be to grow each and every day. Life is all about taking “two steps forward, one step back.” Don’t let doubt, anger, fear, or worry paralyze you from taking the necessary steps to move forward in life.