Accomplishment is defined as an acquired ability or knowledge. What does growing up have to do with accomplishment? From the moment of conception when 1 cell splits into 2 and then into 4, the first of many accomplishments has happened.
Working in labor and delivery for many years and witnessing one birth after another, I saw quickly that no two were ever the same. We had the same procedures we followed as medical personnel for each patient. Those procedures were constantly tested and the pathway changed frequently during the event.
As you can see just being born is an accomplishment. From the moment we are conceived and then born, our bodies begin a process of growing or maturing in many ways.
As new parents we mark on the calendar those "first moments" – sitting up, eating cereal, first word, crawling, etc… They are exciting moments that we anticipate and look forward to seeing. Then one day, we start noticing those accomplishments that we weren't quite expecting but are welcome nevertheless.
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Let me share one that happened recently in our home. Having a 3 year old running around the house can be quite challenging. One of her latest "accomplishments" is learning to open our back door.
Now you may be thinking that is not an accomplishment, but rather a nightmare waiting to happen! In some ways, I agree! Now, she can escape outside without our knowledge. The biggest benefit is I don't have to get up 100 times per day this summer to open the door as she comes in and out.
The first time she opened the door by herself, she looked at me in shock. Her eyes lit up! And the smile that spread across that beautiful face was priceless!
Her first words were, "Mommy, look at me! I opened the door all by myself!"
I responded, "Yay! Now you're almost ready to be 4!"
She said, "I am? I am almost ready to be 4!"
I don't know why those words came out of my mouth. I've never heard myself or anyone else say such a thing. Must have been a God thing!
Ever since those words – You're almost ready to be 4 – left my mouth, my brain has been on fire! Little synapses have been sparking off faster than ever with thoughts of what it really means.
There is no checklist of things you must do before you turn 4 years old or even 44 years old for that matter! I think it was my way of telling my baby girl that I've been watching all of her little accomplishments of growing up which has led to her being able to pull open that big, heavy door by herself.
She'd been trying for a long time. For a while, her hands were too small and she was too short. Then she wasn't strong enough. With practice and continuous effort over a period of weeks and months, she finally crossed the line from trying it to doing it in a split second. She wasn't truly expecting it to happen, but it did. Total excitement!!
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"The person determined to achieve maximum success learns the principle that progress is made one step at a time. A house is built one brick at a time. Football games are won a play at a time. A department store grows bigger one customer at a time. Every big accomplishment is a series of little accomplishments." David Joseph Schwartz
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How does that work for us as adults whether in a new endeavor, a job, or parenting in general? I believe it proves a point that our priority is to keep trying and never give up no matter how big a problem is or how long it takes.
This little girl watched everyone else in the house continue to go in and out that door with no hesitation for the last 3 years. She knew inside that one day she'd be "big enough" to do it herself. So she kept trying without fear of failure.
How about me? Do I continue doing the hard things in life…in business without the fear of failure? Do I see that I can accomplish any task given the right amount of time and practice? Or do I sit around and whine about everything holding me back?
I forget that big things can only be accomplished one small step at a time. If I skip a step, it doesn't work or it won't work as well as I want it too.
For example, teaching kids to write sentences doesn't seem that hard, right? I mean they speak sentences all the time so how hard can it be to put those same words onto paper? As a homeschool mom, I can attest that it can be easy for some and the most difficult thing for others.
It starts with being able to write letters. Then you must be able to know and understand what those letters mean and sound like. Just this one task can come quickly for some kids over a matter of weeks while others may take years.
Once that is accomplished then those letters have to form words. The child has to be able to take those words and put them together to form 2-3 word sentences. Eventually, the child has to learn that a complete sentence will have at the minimum, a subject and a verb.
As the child grows and matures, there will be many more rules about sentences forming paragraphs which leads to papers and stories. Again, this process never happens overnight but slowly over a period of years with one step at a time, lots of repetition, and frustration.
All the hard work will pay off one day with a bestselling novel. When we outsiders see the final product, we can't see the hard work, dedication, and effort that was put into the writing process of that novel.
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We are all given different abilities, mindsets, and personalities. We are an end product of all of our life experiences put together day by day. Each of us is totally unique.
No matter where you find yourself in life today, you have the chance to become better and bigger. Take a few minutes each day to focus on something and do it better than yesterday.
Who knows what big heavy door you'll be able to open in a few days or weeks by growing just a smidgen each day. I'd love to hear how you've accomplished something step by step in your life. Or even how you've watched your children achieve a new feat recently.
I don't know about you but I'm ready to be almost 4!! I want to accomplish some goals and dreams I've had for a long time. Today is the day to start!
I encourage you to share the journey with me by connecting here regularly and becoming part of our community. Share your true life tale from the nest in the comments below.
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