Keep on trying — why you should not judge things on intermediate steps

Yesterday, I tried a new recipe. What I sampled in the pan in the middle of the steps was insipid. I disappointingly continued thinking the final result would be bad.

An hour later, my plate was delicious!

This story reminds me to never judge on intermediate steps because the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts”.

When making something, I often get discouraged by mediocre first steps. Giving up early because of that would be sad. How can we spot when we are judging too early or judging an intermediate step?

I’m fascinated by those time-lapse videos of paintings. The artists progressively add strokes and blend colours. I keep this image to remind me that making something takes several steps of adding and removing. It’s a process. A tangible goal or a clear vision helps us and remind us to persevere.