Most days, I walk a two-mile path twice with our enthusiastic dog, Bijou.
Each time, when I arrive at a corner around a quarter-mile into the walk, I hear myself say, “This walk is going to take forever.”
And each time I get to the corner 1 1/2 miles into the walk, I hear the same voice say, “This walk is going quickly!”
We’re not very good at estimating how long a journey is going to feel, when we are near the beginning. And invariably when we get near the end we find it’s gone faster than we expected. You must travel a journey many times to really know where you are on it.
I think that by mid-career, I’ve stopped being surprised at how quickly the years go by, and I know I no longer start a year with a belief that I have unlimited time until June.
Paying attention to your expectations in a journey, and then noticing how the reality compares with those expectations, is a great way to more quickly learn how to navigate the journey effectively.