The Long Haul

This morning, my alarm jarred me awake at 4:45 am. For the first time since the end of January, I actually got up and went to the gym, which is incredible. You see, I set a goal for myself at the beginning of January to go to the gym 3-4 times a week. It lasted almost three weeks. Then something came up and the next thing I know, it is mid-February and I am struggling to get back to it. 

But today I got up! I did my miles on the treadmill, came home, and got ready for the rest of my day. Like so many others, I have epiphanies in the shower. Today's was about the long haul. 

Whether it is a goal set for personal reasons or goals you set in the classroom, it isn't about the instantaneous results. It is about changes over time, which made me realize it is ok that I hadn't met my goal for the gym 3-4 days a week, because I went today. 

The classroom is like that too. I am not perfect every day. Neither are my students. "Didn't have your science project today? The world won't end. Let's remember to get it in tomorrow." Don't let a misstep derail your whole plan. It is not about falling down. It is about getting back up. 

Educational goals, like all goals, are not a sprint. They are a marathon. Keep working towards them. Refocus if you need to. Take a break if you need it. But get back to it. If you can't model persistence and perseverance, how will you expect your learners to do it? 

Chumbawamba said it best in their 1997 hit song, "Tubthumping,"

"I get knocked down

But I get up again

You're never gonna keep me down" 

Just remember to get back up. It is the long haul for the win.