My wife and I dropped off our five-year old for his first day at kindergarten this morning. Amidst all of the commotion, I found my mind drifting back to a memory that still seemed fresh of bringing him home from the hospital those many years prior.
Somewhere along the way, a fellow parent shared advice about raising children with me. That empty nester fondly told me "the days are long, but the years are short." It's taken some time, but I think that phrase now rings true to me.
There were many sleepless nights and messy diaper changes where I wondered if the pain of the moment would ever end. They always would. Looking back, the excruciating pain is nearly completely forgotten, but the truth is that they felt interminable at the time they were happening.
How does this relate to my work life?
One goal I try to set for myself is to get something positive accomplished daily. Sometimes it is a major achievement. Most often, they are fairly simple "wins." As long as I am making some type of forward progress, I am content. While it may not seem like a high bar, it can actually be quite a challenge to sustain that rate over time. Over the course of time, the pain of the many long days is forgotten and you can look back over the short years and smile contentedly (as you wonder where all the gray hairs came from)!
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