The gap between expected linear progress and actual delayed results where most habits die before paying off.
You write 500 words daily for three months with no publishable work—just scattered notes. This is the Valley of Disappointment where most writers quit. But if you persist, month four brings sharper writing and connected ideas. The breakthrough wasn't sudden talent; it was accumulated invisible skill-building.
If you're in the Valley of Disappointment, you should always persist, when sometimes you're actually doing the wrong thing and need to change course rather than trust a broken process.
Atomic Habits
James Clear
Progress accumulates invisibly beneath the surface before suddenly becoming visible, like ice melting at 32 degrees.
Progress accumulates invisibly beneath the surface before suddenly becoming visible, like ice melting at 32 degrees.
Focus on the process (systems) that leads to results rather than the results themselves (goals) for sustainable progress.
Small habits compound over time like interest, with tiny improvements accumulating into remarkable results.
Small habits compound over time like interest, with tiny improvements accumulating into remarkable results.
What is the Valley of Disappointment?
How does the Valley of Disappointment relate to Loss Aversion from 'Thinking, Fast and Slow'?