Erosion as a Metaphor for Slow Change and Persistence

Imagine a slab of rock.

Or, don't imagine it, and look at this picture of a rock.

Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash

Do you think you could drill through this rock with no tools? Probably not.

What if your tools were the natural ebb and flow of the elements? Imagine flowing water full of sand and a biting, hard wind.

After five minutes of wind and water, you wouldn't see much difference in the rock's composition. The rock would become wet and slippery, but you'd be no closer to boring through it. The same would be true in five days, at least to the naked eye. A microscope might tell a different story, but recall we have no tools in this hypothetical; only the elements.

What do you think the rock would look like after five years of constant erosion?

How about twenty-five years?

Fifty years?

One hundred years?

You might be surprised.

For a real-life example of the power of erosion over time, check out Erosion of a Sea Stack Over 100 Years by the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center.

This sea stack, a rock formation called Jump-Off Joe, is photographed here in 1890:

Public Domain Photo

Here it is 20 years later in the 1910s:

Public Domain Photo

And 100 years later, in 1990:

Photo Credit: Parke D. Snavely, Jr., USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, licensed under the Public Domain

As you can see, the rock formation was almost completely worn away by 1990, 100 years after the first photograph was taken. We can safely assume that if you visited the same spot today, there would be no trace of Jump-Off Joe.

So, what's the point?

Slow change over time compounds, even if we can't see it happening in day-to-day life. If you're trying to change something in your life, time and consistency are your best friends.

What are you trying to accomplish that requires long-term effort over time?

Maybe you're trying to lose weight sustainably, advance in your career, build your retirement fund, or something else. Maybe you're trying to heal your life holistically, and it feels like it's taking forever.

Be patient. Keep doing the things you know work, even if you don't see progress right away. In time, you'll look back at your progress and your metaphorical "rock" will be unrecognizable.

Comment: What are you working on?

Do you need help reaching your goals? Check out our material on Reverse Engineering, or click here to speak to a life coach.

You've got this!