10 Subtle Signs You’re Actually Making Progress In Life

1. You only spend your money on things that matter.

Whoever says money is the root of all evil is probably right. But the sad reality is that money is important. It buys you what you need and want. In a way, having money gives you a sense of peace and security. You know this truth. So you spend your money wisely. You don’t buy things that only make you feel good now and instead put money toward things that you can use for a long period of time. You never spend money based on impulses anymore. And that’s an incredible sign that you’re being more responsible in your life now.

2. You are trying not to burn bridges anymore.

A good relationship is everything—remind yourself about this once in a while. The connections that you build with people at work or in your personal life will benefit you indefinitely. You’re smart enough to take good care of those bonds that you have with people. You’re doing your best to protect them. Maybe in the past, you have been quite comfortable burning bridges every time someone has pissed you off, but right now, you’re learning that you won’t get anywhere in this world by habitually pushing people away. You’re learning that building walls around you doesn’t protect you — it actually makes you more isolated.

3. You hold yourself accountable for your mistakes.

It’s a turn off when a person knows fully well that they’ve made a mistake and still deny it. You do not want to be that kind of person. When you’ve hurt someone’s feelings, you apologize to them. You don’t give them guarantee that it’ll never happen again, because no human is perfect, but you’ll try to be better. When you’ve messed up at work, you’re quick to right what has gone wrong and learn from it. You admit it when you’ve done something disappointing because, over time, you’ve observed that it’s more respectable to own up your shit than lie about it.

4. You communicate your thoughts and feelings in a healthy way.

By now, you understand that people are generally not mind readers. They don’t always know what you’re thinking and feeling. You can’t always expect them to ask you if you’re okay. People are busy with their own lives. They have dramas they worry about other than yours. You recognize that life is short, so you avoid beating around the bush. You go straight to the point and communicate your needs with someone you care about in a non-confrontational, productive way. You tell them what’s bothering you. Because that’s how you maintain a healthy relationship — by having an open discussion. And if they are not very receptive about it, then that’s their problem, not yours.

5. You are wholeheartedly willing to bury the past.

We have done stupid things before. We’ve made bad choices. We’ve rebelled. We’ve hurt people and people have hurt us. But you’re reminding yourself that these are all memories from the past and you’re ready to bury them. You’re moving on to a completely different trajectory and don’t dare to peek behind your shoulders. The view ahead of you is more beautiful than what you’ve already left behind. You look at the mirror in the morning and see how much you’ve improved. You see potential in you. You see that you’re meant for great things and you’re ready to embrace the future

6. You are proud of the choices you are making.

You may not be hitting crazy milestones right now, but you’re proud of the progress you’re making. You’re getting to where you want to go slowly and steadily. You’re enjoying the view on your way to your destination. You try not to miss out on living the experience of moving from point A to point B. Sometimes you make wrong detours because of your poor choices, but you don’t count them as embarrassing failures. Wrong detours give color to your story. Even though you’re getting lost sometimes, you’re still proud of the journey you’re adventuring on.

7. You know exactly what kind of relationship that works for you.

Heartaches suck, but they make you smarter. Every romantic relationship you’ve had teaches you something powerful. As you grow older, you’re getting more aware that a long-lasting partnership is about two people who are willing to work together. It’s not the best-looking person that stays in your life, it’s the person who understands that the relationship is not easy but they’re willing to make compromises with you. What you’re looking for now is someone who is patient and capable of sticking around even when shit doesn’t seem to stop hitting the fan.

8. You are learning how to use your time effectively.

Throughout the years, you’ve figured out that the secret to productivity is essentially staying away from your smartphone. If money is the root of all evil, then your phone is the root of all distractions. You’ve noticed that most successful people in the world have structured lives. They know how to manage their time. They are creatures of habits. So you emulate those principles in your life. You rarely pay attention to senseless things. You invest your time on activities that are either productive or will give value to you later on. Keeping a consistent schedule sounds boring, but if that helps you get farther in life, then to hell with it.

9. Your future makes more sense now.

You wake up one day and suddenly decide which road is right for you. You might have been a hot ball of mess in your younger years, but now you have a concrete idea of what exactly you want to get out of your life. This realization might not look like a huge achievement in the grand scheme of things, but it definitely shows you’re making progress. And it’s all that matters for now.

10. You are not scared of change.

You have a good grasp of how this world works. The idea that nothing is set in stone is not foreign to you. You know that people say one thing and do the other. You’ve witnessed circumstances shift in just a few minutes. You’ve watched an entire mountain be swallowed by fire. Things constantly change and so are you. It’s almost like nothing surprises you anymore. You can anticipate a blindside even before it happens. You can tell when something is about to go wrong. You can read situations and people, and you’re quick to adapt and adjust to your environment. You are not intimidated by change. Because you’ve learned, in a painful way, that to survive is to change. To stay still puts you at risk of being left behind. And to not make any progress at all in your life is perhaps scarier than death.