Small victories can fuel earth shattering accomplishments
Posted on: Saturday, December 10th, 2005Comments: 0
I did something today that I’ve been dreading for a few weeks; my snow blowers first start. I go through this every year. It usually takes me 125 to 150 pulls before it starts. Once it starts, it’s good for the whole winter, but getting to that first start is a miserable experience. It’s not just pulling the cord 150 times; it’s the dread that it may never start.
My daughters were in the driveway with their little shovels as I began my first few pulls. I pulled it the first ten times then took a break for a few seconds. I did the same with the next ten and the next. Then, for no obvious reason, on the thirty-fifth pull, the snow blower started! I couldn’t believe it! I shouted, “YYEESSSS!” I held my hands up and kept shouting it! My girls started shouting it too. I was so fired up! I felt like I had just won the Super Bowl. My whole day changed. I felt like I could do anything!
Such a trivial victory changed my whole attitude. I accomplished several things today that I’ve been dreading and putting off for weeks. In fact, it’s likely that had I not started the snow blower on the 35th pull today, I would have put off this “Raising Daughters” entry until tomorrow.
This trivial victory and my over reaction to it validates my view that little victories mean a lot. Little victories can snowball; they can create a trend, a life changing trend.
My sister went through a long period of wandering with no direction and low self esteem. She had no victories. This went on for years. Then, she started going to the gym and running on a tread mill. A small victory. She began to talk about running now and again. And while it was almost imperceptible at the time, that little victory began to change her life. Next she began aerobics. Soon she began to loose weight and get into shape. At some point she became more interesting and exciting to talk to again. Before long, my sister was inspiring people around her. Now she is highly motivated, back in school and succeeding wildly with her coursework, her kids, and her life. Little victories mean a lot. They can lead to earth shattering accomplishments.
If it’s true with adults – that little victories can snowball and change a life of negativity – think of what little victories can do to children. Children don’t have lives that have to be changed or turned-around. They have lives that haven’t yet been shaped. Little victories can turn them in to confident adults. And little victories can be found anywhere…it’s all about how they see it.
For example, I took two of my daughters to soccer this morning. One is almost seven-years-old and the other is five-years-old. Before we arrived I talked about their goals for the game. We agreed to attainable goals (not too easy and not too hard). My seven-year-old’s goal was to score one goal…she scored two. My five-year-old’s goal was to kick the ball five times during the game (yes, yes, it’s a pretty small victory, but a few weeks ago she wasn’t even noticing the ball when it rolled past her)…she kicked it six times.
When they finished playing, they were both fired up! They succeeded and they knew they succeeded. They each had a small victory; a victory that was placed on top of many, many other small victories; small victories that seem to be gaining momentum; turning into a trend.
I believe that with our daughters, almost any situation can be perceived as a success. Even kicking a soccer ball or reading a children’s book. It’s all about having the right expectations and goals at the outset. Start building momentum for success, today…right now!
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