Last night, my 7-year-old son received a piano award at his lesson. He got a trophy for reaching 12 specific goals since December. He worked really hard for this. Initially, his motivation was to get the trophy. Then last night, he wisely said,”You know, Mom, I really wanted the trophy, but I’ve become a better piano player because of all this work.”
I pondered this a lot last night. My son is so proud of himself for this accomplishment. He figured out how much work this entailed, and it was no small feat. I was proud of him when he realized that this achievement wasn’t just about the trophy–it was about the work involved and what he’d done to earn that trophy.
The same could be said for my journey toward my degree. I initially just wanted the diploma. That is still important to me, of course, but what I am learning, both academically and personally, are equally as important.
Achieving a goal is wonderful, but what we learn in the process of achieving the goal is just as important and sometimes more so.
