How is progress measured?

Progress is a funny thing. Sometimes you see a lot of it all at once. Sometimes it takes what seems like forever before you see anything. Sometimes it looks like you're going backwards.

Take, for example, this import project at work. Over the last week that we've been testing it, I've noticed a drastic reduction in the amount of errors I have to address each week. Time management is getting better because less time is spent doing the tasks that the imports handle. This kind of progress is encouraging, but not all progress is this noticeable.

Another instance to consider is my website. It's taken a long time to get it, and now that I've got it, the only thing there is an "under construction" page. Unfortunately, that's all I know how to do at the moment. I've started working on the content, but it is very slow progress. Getting to the temple, too, has been a slow process. After 3 years, I'm finally going next Saturday. My interviews are done, my appointment is scheduled (anyone who wants to be there should arrive by 10:30 for the 11am session), and now all I have to do is get there on time.

Finally, my third examination involves the dreaded diet. Blah! Last week I started out at 15 minutes a day; this week I cranked it up to 30 minutes a day, and I've managed to GAIN weight. I'm sure that Monday's festivities and missing Wednesday's walk didn't help matters any, but it's not the kind of progress I'm hoping for. Now I can keep my hopes up by saying that working out had built muscle, that muscle weighs more than fat and has contributed to my gain, that this increased muscle mass will burn more fat and eventually show a loss, but I'm not sure I believe it. For now I plan to stick with it and maybe increase the number of days to 6. Tim will move to day shift on Sunday, so that will throw a little kink into the schedule, but I plan on getting up at 4:45am to continue my regimen. Dougie has even suggested that we do yoga in the afternoons after I pick him, Audie, and Chloie up and get them home. I've heard that exercise sharpens the mind; maybe it will benefit the kiddos before they start their homework?

On the bright side, I've learned that the yarn I ordered for the mystery corchet-a-long is shipping today. Is it possible to consider this progress if I haven't actually started the project?