The DPDO Dilemma

Today I again experienced the DPDO Dilemma, though I have never called it that. Pronounced as if you are saying "tiptoe" with a cold, it is the Daily-Progress Daily-Observation Dilemma. The Dilemma is that to make regular progress on any dimension--whether skill, fitness, weight loss, or character quality--progress is usually not detectable when observed daily. Yet to improve over time, daily adherence to practice is necessary. The consistent application of effort lacks crucial motivational feedback for two reasons: (1) Daily progress is so tiny that it is undetectable, and (2) Daily progress is interspersed with losses, forming a sawtooth trendline. The DPDO Dilemma threatens discouragement to goal chasers, as it did to me his morning. I thought, "I should be running faster by now; I should be losing extra pounds faster." The DPDO Dilemma defeats many, but if we recognize its false implications ("I'm not making progress.") then we can cast it aside.