Each day is a new opportunity to move forward.

Bricklayers work in courses. One course a day on a big wall, and standing back at five it looks like nothing happened.

Forward isn't visible at daily resolution. Most days are maintenance — the wall gets one row, the ill relative gets a phone call, the manuscript gets a paragraph you will probably cut.

The opportunity is genuine and it is smaller than it sounds. Usually one thing: the call you have been avoiding, or twenty minutes on what matters before the day gets loud.

Take that and the day counts, whatever else happens to it. Miss it and tomorrow offers the same deal again, at the same price.