Does the Perception of Progress Have Value?
Real progress has value. However, does the perception of progress have value without knowing for sure if real progress is being made? The short answer is sometimes.
When progress is necessary to advance a life or death situation then perceiving progress without facts is dangerous. However, in other situations there is real value in just the perception of progress.
For instance, when perceiving progress unlocks motivation to fuel positive action, then a tremendous amount of value is available. In fact, the perception of progress is one of two critical factors that lead to an increase in motivation.
This is why when pursuing a difficult goal you should always break the big goal down into smaller goals. Achieving those smaller goals create the perception of progress, and in turn fuels motivation to keep going. In addition, when the big goal is an outcome you can’t control, then you should focus your smaller goals around activities you can control. If you do this, you then also control your own perception of progress and as a result control your motivation.