any progress no matter how small or slow is still worth celebrating

Progress, in the sense of acquisition, is something; but progress in the sense of being, is a great deal more. To grow higher, deeper, wider, as the years go on; to conquer difficulties, and acquire more and more power; to feel all one's faculties unfolding, and truth descending into the soul, — this makes life worth living.

Be satisfied with even the smallest progress.

And that’s what we celebrate today. The long arc of progress. Progress that is never assured, never guaranteed, but always possible, always there to be earned -– no matter how stuck we might seem sometimes. No matter how divided or despairing we may appear. No matter what ugliness may bubble up. Progress, so long as we’re willing to push for it; so long as we’re willing to reach for each other.

Little progress is better than no progress at all. Success comes in taking many small steps. If you stumble in a small step, it rarely matters. Don't gift wrap the garbage. Let little failures go.

It's a weird feeling, scientific breakthroughs. There's no Eureka moment. Just a slow, steady progression toward a goal. But man, when you get to that goal it feels good.

Progress is the business of making life more safe and more enjoyable . . . fuller, generally.

Making art has taught me that the tiniest smidgen of progress is something to be cherished.

Progress is building something lasting for future.

I can tell you the secret to happiness in one word: progress.

Struggling is okay. Back-stepping is okay. Small bits of progress are not only okay, they’re admirable.

a real sign of progress is when we no longer punish ourselves for our imperfections

Progress is just perpetually undoing our no longer true enough systems in order to create new ones that more closely fit people as they really are. People aren't changing, after all. It's just that for the first time there's enough freedom for people to stop changing who they are. Progress is the acknowledgment of what is and what has always been. Progress is always a returning.

My wife shared a bit of wisdom with me recently, and I'd like to pass it along to you today…

You can be happy with who you are and still want to be better. You can love your body and still want to improve it. You can appreciate your financial state and still want to improve it.

Progress does not require self-loathing. You can feel successful along the way.