Korean Fried Chicken

Korean Fried Chicken gets its distinctive crispy coating through a process that cannot be accomplished in a single step. The chicken is fried once to cook it through, allowed to rest, and then fried a second time at a higher temperature to develop its crisp, golden exterior. Only after those stages are complete is it coated in the sweet and spicy glaze.

After the first fry, the chicken may not look like what we expected. But that doesn't mean anything has gone wrong. The first stage has accomplished exactly what it was supposed to. The next stage builds upon it, creating a result that couldn't be achieved by trying to do everything at once.

Life presents us with situations that work in much the same way. We may know what we want to accomplish, understand why it matters, and feel frustrated that we can't make it happen immediately.

But some things require a sequence of steps, experiences, or decisions that cannot simply be skipped. Understanding something takes time. Developing an ability requires practice. Working through a difficult situation may involve addressing one part before we're able to approach another.

When we focus entirely on the outcome we want, it's easy to overlook the value of where we are in the process. We may feel that we haven't accomplished enough simply because the final result isn't visible yet.

Progress doesn't become meaningful only when everything is finished. Each stage can have its own purpose and value, even when it doesn't look like the outcome we're working toward.