Many, many years ago, when I was living in NYC I went to a really fun workshop. I honestly don’t even remember the name of the guy anymore, however the workshop was all about personal development. This was my first one and I was truly moved.
I have a motto that I live with nowadays – One Thing (which I learned and religiously follow from a book with the same name). If I can get ‘One Thing’ that will impact or change my life from any activity, book or video I watch I have truly benefited from it. And if I get more than one, then that is double or triple the reward.
What’s Your One Thing? Here’s Why I Teach My Kids Mine – Finish Strong
From this particular workshop, which lasted for three days, I got my One Thing – FINISH STRONG.
What does that even mean, you are probably thinking.
Here’s the thing.
We all start STRONG. Right? We have these awesome ideas, and we plunge in and then with time, depending on the project, our motivation and enthusiasm and so much more starts to waver, starts to wane.
This doesn’t only happen with adults, This happens throughout all ages. Since becoming aware of it myself I now see how often my sons do NOT finish strong. It can be from something as small as a reading a book and not quite finishing it. To something much bigger like a grand idea that they have which they thrust themselves fully into only to not take it to the full stretch.
Sometimes kids simply don’t know what finishing strong involves. No one has ever taught them this.
For example, one of my son’s favorite foods is bread-crumbed and fried shrimp. However, this dish means a lot more to him than simply yummy food. This was what his paternal grandma used to make for him whenever they hung out together. It’s nostalgic and brings beautiful memories to him as well. She passed away over a year ago.
So when I said let’s make this dish he was sooooo excited to do it and jumped right in.
The Full Project – What Does it Mean to Finish Strong
The kid got totally into taking each shrimp and soaking it in egg before rolling it around in the breadcrumbs and then throwing it into the oil.
However, cooking them is literally only one part of the job.
Once the shrimps were done, a chef cleans up the mess and puts everything away.
If you’re a kid how would you know this, right? That’s when teaching your kids the full scope of the job and teaching them to finish strong as in doing the full task – as crappy as it seems, makes them see that everything they do has a start, middle and end.
And a lot of times, the end gives it closure and makes them feel responsible even when doing a part of the job that isn’t sexy or glorious. It makes them feel like they have fully accomplished something.
So teaching kids to finish strong from finishing a race and giving it your all the last few minutes even if you’re beating everyone by a landslide – never rest on their laurels – to completing a full task or project is one of the most important life skills they will acquire.
What do you teach your kids? Do you have a way to show them how the can finish strong?