In nearly everything worthwhile doing there are plateaus.
We start running, playing an instrument, learning a new language and we typically experience significant progress initially, then at some point, the gains don’t come so easily. Performance tapers off and every minute improvement requires a disproportionally large amount of effort.
We all like to see the progress, we glean motivation and meaning from that feeling of gaining mastery over something. And when that feeling stops, so too does the practice. Why bother working so hard if you’re not seeing the benefit?
To break through to a different level, to become truly exceptional at something, we must persist, we must push through the plateau, no matter how long, get to the next breakthrough, the next step change in performance. Then do it all again for the next one.
But to do this, there has to be a motivation beyond continuous, linear improvement, there must be something that motivates us to keep pushing, even when it seems in vain. Because in the end going the extra mile is disproportionally rewarded, because those people who reach the next plateau are uncommonly good and uncommonly dedicated.