Determination is the follow-through for growth – moving forward. Milestones track our progress; from lofty goals to baby steps.

When I consider the qualities of determination, I think of children. Their growth and development are mind-blowing. We measure their milestones closely; first in months, then years. Babies are born completely dependent for their survival. Slowly, they begin to hold their head up, roll over, smile, etc. It’s a big deal. You can find a plethora of apps to track early childhood development that benchmark what to expect and what to do when things don’t seem on-track.

Have you ever been foolish when encouraging or celebrating a child’s progress? We teach young children that determination is a high-value quality that gets heavily rewarded.  We encourage, prod, nudge, cheer, clap, etc. Early on, they demonstrate the importance of determination. While at times, they can be frustrating, their resilience is inspiring!

As children mature, the space between milestones grow further apart. Eventually milestones become a lower priority or we blow them off. Afterall, “We don’t want children to expect a celebration for everything they do.”

Interesting. As they become independent, we often become less encouraging.  Is it because we struggle to encourage ourselves? Is there any milestone or benchmarking for adults who are striving for growth, progress or achievement?

Somewhere between the magic of infant development and evolving adulthood struggles we encounter discouragement. It’s a common occurrence that is unique to each of us. The discomfort of developing a new habit can feel discouraging. It’s where we face challenges independently and without a strategy or app for milestones, we get discouraged and revert back into our old familiar way of being. We focus on what’s NOT going well and give up.

STOP!

How did we transform from a highly resilient, determined child to a win-or-lose adult? Can we learn as much from our children as we want to teach them? Perhaps.

3D Living – Meet Baby Planks:  Desire – Discipline – Determination                    

1. Desire – Baby wants to move.
2. Discipline – Push against the floor. again and again.
3. Determination – Keeps pushing until, “Hey Look Mom!”.

The baby in this photo is my grandson. And yes, that’s a baby plank. While planking was not on any child development app, it was how he transitioned from not crawling to moving. He planked before he crawled. Now,  6 years later, his determination is still as fierce! He reminds me that anyone can do anything they choose. All they need is to 1. Decide… 2. Show-Up… and 3. Follow-Through. One baby plank, one milestone at a time.

Determination is cause for celebration. Follow-through!