When You Love the Gold Stars.

The process.

It's something we've thought a lot about, both in our time as teachers and as we continue our journeys of owning a business.

We are taught at such a young age to be outcome focused--winning the game, getting the grade, hitting our goal weight, buying our dream house, hitting 7 figures--that AS A CULTURE we have collectively lost sight of feeling good about the baby steps it takes to get there.

Motivation, goal-setting, and gold stars are wonderful, but you absolutely have permission to find real joy along the way...

In the studying.

In the saving.

In the learning.

In the practicing.

In the incremental.

In the mini-milestones.

In the "almosts" and the "not quites" and the "try agains."

I (Melissa) have trained thousands of teachers and parents about learning to praise the process, rather than the outcome of their students.

We talk about how to give encouragement and praise to their kids MORE for working hard, persisting, reflecting, and growing, as opposed to putting all the value on the end result.

Imagine how that is changing things for those kids as they grow.

Imagine if we had the same encouragement.

I encourage you to take some time this week and find a quiet moment to yourself.

Look back.

Think of all the steps you took to get to this very moment.

The highs. The lows.

And look at you, still alive... Still shining… Still persisting… Still believing…

That deserves a gold star, in and of itself.