Never Walk Back

by BethVogt @BethVogt

Progress is not about how fast you are going, but it is most definitely about forward motion.

We almost always equate progress with success — although sometimes that is debatable — and sometimes we also believe success has to happen quickly. Hence, the term “overnight success,” which is an oxymoron in itself.

I’ve achieved some successes in my life and I’ll tell you this: most of them took quite a bit longer to occur than I’d expected. I certainly wasn’t an overnight success as an author. Some people would say I’m still not a huge success, although I’ve achieved some of my goals, even as I’m setting my sights on some new ones. I’m happily married, although “happily married” doesn’t mean “never had to work through issues”. Like the sign posted in our bedroom says: The first fifty years of marriage are the hardest. My husband and I have a few years to go until  our Golden Anniversary — but we’re focused on the years ahead instead of the ones behind us.

All this to say, I’m in agreement with Abraham Lincoln. Slow and steady — and not looking back — works best for me. I’m less likely to trip and fall on my face. And I’m more likely to see the opportunities waiting for me.

In Your Words: What’s your take on forward motion? Does slow and steady work for you or do you prefer a faster pace? And do you see and advantage in going back?

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"Never walk back." author @BethVogt shares her thoughts on moving forward on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Are progress and success really synonyms? Thoughts from @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Beth K. Vogt is a nonfiction author and editor who said she'd never write fiction. She's the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she'd never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She's a mom of four who said she'd never have kids. Now Beth believes God's best often waits behind the doors marked "Never." A women's fiction novelist, Beth's first novel for Tyndale House Publishers, Things I Never Told You, releases May 2018.

Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2014. A November Bride was part of the Year of Wedding series by Zondervan. Having authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there's more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us.

An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Novel Rocket and also enjoys speaking to writers' groups and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband, Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories. Connect with Beth at  bethvogt.com.