@davidmeltzer: Progress is not linear. Most of the effort is spent getting to the early steps, where nothing feels clear and nothing feels rewarded. That is where doubt grows and momentum feels invisible. What most people never realize is that the distance between 250 and 1000 is much shorter than the distance from zero to 250. The work compounds, the lessons stack, and traction accelerates faster than expected once you stay in long enough. The truth is simple. Quitting usually happens right before things start to move. Staying in the game, especially when it feels uncomfortable, is often the only difference between those who make it and those who almost did.