A big part of having a practice, whether it be creative, martial, spiritual, what have you, is accepting the fact that it will not always be easy.
It will not always be convenient.
We will not always feel like we are making progress.
There will be many days where we will feel stuck, frustrated, or even like we are moving backwards.
It is important to keep in mind that this is part of having a practice.
In fact, this is why it is called a practice.
We are practicing.
And, we must continue to practice, especially when it is not easy, especially when it is not convenient, and especially when it feels like we are not making progress.
The goal of a practice is to be consistent, to keep showing up, and to put in effort day in and day out even when we do not feel like it, especially when we do not feel like it.
Over time, if we do not give up, we will notice that something has changed.
We will have changed.
This, after all, is the point of having a practice.
We begin in search of change.
If we want consistent change, that is, if we want the change to stick, we have to continue practicing.
And, if our practice is worthwhile, this process will go on for a lifetime.