The Plateau of Life: The Silent Phase Before a Breakthrough

Story: The Mountain Man

In a small village in Bihar lived Dashrath Manjhi.
A huge mountain blocked the village from schools, markets, and hospitals.

One day, Dashrath’s wife fell seriously ill. The long route around the mountain delayed medical help. Sadly, she did not survive.

In this painful plateau of life, where nothing changed, and everything felt stuck, Dashrath made a bold decision:

“If the mountain is the problem… I will break it.”

With just a hammer and a chisel, he worked every single day.
No big results.
No praise.
Only a little, slow progress.

People laughed.
He continued.

After 22 years, a road finally appeared through the mountain.
His village was connected to the world.
Dashrath Manjhi became known as “The Mountain Man.”

Moral of the story:
A plateau is not failure.
It is the quiet phase before a breakthrough.
Small efforts, made daily, can move even a mountain.

“जीवन में एकमात्र सीमाएँ वही हैं, जो आप खुद बनाते हैं।”

When Life Feels Stuck

There are times when life feels slow and stagnant.
Things don’t move the way we expect.

Everyone around us seems busy, successful, and happy, and we silently wonder:
“Why not me?”

At different stages, this stillness shows up in different areas of life.

Career
After working in one company for many years, I sometimes ask myself:
Am I growing? Has everything become too predictable? Am I still valuable to the company?

Learning
I read for 10–15 minutes every day, a habit I’ve maintained since 2000.
Yet sometimes I wonder:
Has it really changed me? Am I becoming wiser?

Content Creation
I’ve been creating content for social media since 2019.
But even after years of effort,

• subscriber growth is slow,
• views are limited, and
• Monetisation is hardly.

Sometimes I ask myself:
Why am I putting in so much effort?

All these activities happen regularly, yet the results feel smaller or invisible.
And when results don’t show, the noise of stagnation grows louder.

External Validation: The Temptation to Stop!

Sometimes people say:
“Why do it if it’s not giving results?”

At such moments, I question myself:

• Is my consistency worth it? Let me binge-watch web series like others.
• Am I competent?
• Does what I do even matter?
• Should I quit?

When these inner voices grow stronger:

• It becomes easy to stop.
• Easy to delay.
• Easy to follow the crowd and do nothing.
• Easy to start feeling foolish.

I have slowed down, too.

For example, I’ve been writing a book since 2020:

• Not able to finish it.
• Not able to leave it.
• Not fully trusting myself.

Many times, the same question returns:
Why do I continue?

Because when I started, my intention was pure.
I wasn’t doing it for praise, validation, or competition.
I was doing it because it made me happy and challenged me.

At times, this feels childish or impractical, especially when people around me are moving faster in career, money, and life.

Asking the Right Questions

So, the real questions become:

• What is right for me?
• What do I genuinely enjoy doing?
• Am I proving something to others, or fulfilling myself?
• Do I feel drained after doing it or energised?
• Am I excited on Friday evening and Monday morning?

Life’s Plateau Is Normal

A plateau can appear in any part of life:

• Personal
• Professional
• Relationships
• Friendships
• Hobbies

Its duration may be short, long, or very long, like Dashrath Manjhi’s 22 years.

What matters most is asking ourselves:

• Why did I start?
• What was my intention?
• Am I still moving in the right direction?
• Does this give me satisfaction and inner happiness?

It also helps to listen to family, friends, and colleagues. As a third person and a well-wisher, their perspective can help us to review and amend our path. Their support often keeps us going when we feel stuck or confused.

The Sweet Fruit of Consistency

When we finally reach our “magic moment”,
just like Dashrath Manjhi did,
The joy is indescribable.

The sense of achievement,
the self-belief,
the quiet pride of not giving up,
It feels magical.

A plateau is not the end, just as it wasn’t the end for Dashrath Manjhi during those 22 years of cutting the mountain.
It is simply the silent part of the journey before the breakthrough.

For me, it means:

• I should continue to create content
• I should continue to read
• I should complete my book, regardless of the challenges ahead

What is the plateau disturbing you today?
What is your plan?
Are you planning to quit or to continue your journey?

“इस क्षण अपना सर्वश्रेष्ठ करना आपको अगले क्षण के लिए सबसे अच्छी जगह पर पहुंचा देता है।”