The Number Line

We are all just on our path towards whatever we think our goal is. I like to think of it as getting to 100% of our true selves. We may have different starting points and be at different points on our journey, but we are all trying to get to our goals.  

This year I might only get 1% closer to my goal, but next year it will be 7%. For you it could be 10 or 15%. Some years we might slip backwards, but we know we are generally making progress, and we still have our eyes on the prize.  

The danger is when we start to look around and see how everyone else is doing and compare ourselves. “Suzy is 20% of me, and so I’ll never catch her. What's the point?” That kind of thinking can be deadly. As we have said before, we are just trying to be better than yesterday.  That means something different to all of us. The results might be different, but the process is the same. Our progress is what matters.

We need to help our students see the value in improving themselves in all aspects and to not get down on themselves if they are putting in the work. We might arrive at our goals at different times, but as long as we are mostly moving in the right direction, even when it feels like we are always going backward, we can’t lose.  

Point your students in the right direction today and encourage them to keep it going in the positive direction.