Neural pathways are what make our daily lives possible without overwhelming our brains. They allow us to walk, talk, drive, swim, ride a bike, and type without having to consciously think through every tiny step.

But we didn’t learn to do any of those things overnight. They took weeks, months, sometimes years of repetition before they became deeply ingrained—before they felt almost instinctive. Habits work the same way.

There’s a fine balance between effort and patience. Bread dough won’t rise faster if you keep poking at it, and sometimes neither will our creative projects or life goals. When we learn to trust that resting period—to let the air and energy circulate naturally—we set ourselves up for a better outcome.