Often times, we are in such a hurry to reach a certain goal that we forget to be patient with ourselves. We must learn that we don’t have to be perfect; we just have to be patient.

I was confronted with this very thing recently. You see, this column is a monthly task I have been dealt. A task that I am not accustomed to doing.

I am a reporter and a photographer, not a column writer. I go to meetings and report the facts of those meetings. I interview people and tell their stories, but a column writer I am not.

So, when I was given the task of having to write a monthly column for The Charlotte Gazette, I was struggling to say the least. But it was when I was trying to figure out how to write a column and stressing about what to write about that I remembered one important thing. I did not start as a great reporter and photographer. Nor do I consider myself great to this day, however, I did learn how to do those two things when I stopped trying to be perfect and trying to compare myself to others and began to be patient. I am learning to be better every day. With every photo I take, with every story I write, it’s quite possible one day I’ll be even better at this column writing thing.

For me, it was stepping outside of my comfort zone and being faced with writing a column that made me realize yet again that I don’t have to be perfect. We don’t have to be perfect in the things we do; we just need to be patient and trust the process as we push forward because if you are moving forward, you are progressing and growing.

Crystal Vandegrift is a staff reporter for The Charlotte Gazette and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Her email address is Crystal.Vandegrift@TheCharlotteGazette.com.