How Watching Babies Learn to Walk Helps you Meet your Goals
Like so many people, my career path has been an accident. I was
at the right place at the right time. But when my 40th birthday
approached, I really reflected upon my past accomplishments and
wondered what my future ones would be. As a new mom, I am
constantly inspired by my son. Was there a way I could use the
lessons I have learned from my son to help me figure out my
future goals? I was fascinated when my son learned to walk - he
was so determined and nothing could get in his way and when he
fell he didn't question himself or criticize himself, he just
kept going. That was when I was struck by the metaphor of baby
steps. If we copied babies actions of learning to walk without
fear of failure, perhaps we can reach our goals?
Building block 1: What are you proud of? What are the ten things
I am most proud of from my childhood? When I asked myself this
question it was filled with things like - winning the doggie
paddle race at age 5; getting the best camper award; being the
first freshman on the varsity basketball team; getting a tennis
scholarship; traveling to more than 8 countries before I was 12;
writing a letter about pollution to President Nixon and getting
a response. (I have the letter framed in my office - ok, so it
was autopen)
Do you see a pattern here? Well, what struck me as funny was
that the things I cared about most as a child: sports, traveling
and the environment are still the things most important to me
now. So if you created a list of the ten things you are the most
proud as a child and as an adult, would you see a pattern?
Building Block 2: What makes you happy? Let's try another
exercise, what are the ten things that make you the most happy?
And when was the last time you did anything on this list? Do you
make time to do things that make you happy? And if you did do
these things, would you have a sense of accomplishment?
My list always includes dancing. Before my son, I danced salsa
and tango every week. I love to dance. But, my husband doesn't
dance and since we have a toddler and babysitting is expensive,
we don't go out that often. Lucky for me, I have a little boy
who loves music, so we dance in the living room almost every
day, twirling and spinning to salsa and rock and roll. Oddly
enough, my son teaches me to take baby steps. He teaches me to
live in the moment and celebrate every step I take - so when I
dance with him in the living room or in the supermarket, I am
doing what makes me happy.
Building Block Three: What are your memorable moments? Another
one of my favorite exercises is to think of a memorable moment
in your life. When I first did this exercise I immediately
remembered my trip to Nepal after the 1992 presidential election
campaign. I trekked for 10 days in the Annapurna range and was
struck by the feeling of stepping back in time - there were no
cars, no electricity, and no toilets. We went to sleep when the
sun went down. I felt so at peace and one with nature. Can you
tell a little about my values from my favorite moment? In less
than two minutes my colleagues said they thought I cared about
the environment, politics, beauty, solitude, culture and travel
to name a few. It was amazing to me how much can be learned from
a memorable moment. So what is your moment? Do you think it
illustrates your true values?
Turning the building blocks into accomplishments All three
exercises are about tapping into your core values and what makes
you happy. In this busy world, sometimes you just need to take a
moment and breathe and remember what's important. There is the
saying "I will not die an unlived life." If you take the time to
practice the things that make you proud and happy, you will be
creating the building blocks to have memorable moments all the
time.