30/03/2019

Looking back

I had been turning this phrase over in my mind for weeks. In the end, it became the title of this article and of the next episode of the podcast La escuela del Fotógrafo. The reason is simple: I can see what lies ahead, but I also need to look at what I have already done and remember the foundations—the things that inspired it all.

Looking back does not mean taking steps backwards. It means taking stock, strengthening or revisiting the elements and resources that make up a project. That might be a specific project, like some of mine, but the same idea applies to a life project, a hobby, or a set of skills we want to develop professionally.

Whenever we try to see a project as a whole—or even just part of it—we can fall into the procrastination trap. We notice how much is still left, how many pieces depend on one another, and end up asking, “Where do I start?” The goal still has to remain in sight. Even if progress is slower than we hoped, every small step brings us closer and helps keep the size of what remains from becoming a source of anxiety.

Our present is shaped by everything we have done so far, and past achievements belong to the circumstances in which they happened. Life changes; our pace changes with it. It is hard to accept that we could once do so much and now, with the demands of everyday life, can manage only a few things—or none at all. I am a father of two, and with the arrival of my youngest I had to rethink my projects. Each day I have less time available, and less energy too.