Over the holidays, I was reminded of a common phrase that “life is a game of inches.” That phrase resonated with me as I’ve thought about the new year and the idea that the big goals we may have ultimately boil down to the small actions and choices we make every day.
This year, we have established some big goals for our department; but we all know that simply having a goal isn’t enough. The daily and hourly execution of the goal is where the rubber meets the road. Doing what needs to be done when it is inconvenient, difficult, or even tedious is how our inches will be earned.
I learned this valuable lesson when I set a goal to learn Braille after the birth of my oldest son. At 26 years of age, I could no longer read print and had never been taught Braille. Like any mother, I yearned to hold my son and read to him. So, with the guidance of a few good mentors, I started teaching myself Braille. It was a daunting task at first—so daunting that getting started was the most difficult step.
The trick for keeping me motivated and not overwhelmed was breaking the Braille code down into bite-sized lessons. Each day I would choose a few Braille symbols to learn, type, and then read. Little by little, my repertoire grew. I was soon reading simple books by Dr. Seuss. My personal milestone was when I read “The Hobbit”—even though it took forever for me to finish.
Today, I use Braille every day and couldn’t do my job without it. This life changing tool came to me through small and consistent efforts over several months. This type of experience isn’t unusual—most of the important things in life are earned in inches. Achieving our department goals over the next year will be no different.
- Kristen
0 comments:
Post a Comment