PRECOCIOUS

PRECOCIOUS

“Showing the qualities or abilities of an adult at an unusually early age/strong interest in things and topics beyond their years.”

My precocious great-grandnephews and their father stopped by after school and the conversation arose around something that the older great-grandnephew wanted. Experience has taught all of us that we can land in a loop of epic proportion when he thinks he can “out” rationalize us (remember he is precocious). My grandnephew and his wife have developed coping skills that leave the youngster’s confidence intact while extricating themselves from the loop. My husband and I have not, which became apparent when we entered the loop where he expressed a desire for a drum set. Knowing his proclivity for music, we began advocating for him. Almost immediately, I sensed that this topic had been discussed multiple times with his parents and the answer from his parents was “not yet.” We wanted his wish to be granted sooner rather than later. My husband and I offered suggestions, all of which met with the lad’s resistance. Finally in the darkness of the loop, a lightbulb went off in my head, he wanted to bypass “filling the form,” a concept that I had encountered weeks earlier in my reading.

What is “filling the form,” you might ask? Writer, Julie Cameron says “it is taking the next step instead of skipping ahead to a large one for which you have not yet been prepared.” My young great-grandnephew wanted to skip over the steps his father had suggested and go directly to the drum set. His father repeated, “not yet.” The youngster had not mastered the drum pads currently occupying space in their house. Even though, my husband and I gave him concrete suggestions for “filling the form” to get what he desired – incremental shifts toward his goal, he was not buying any of it. We looped until he declared with gusto, “I know how to play the drums!” We exited the loop immediately. As precocious as he is, he is ten years old with age-appropriate thoughts.

As old as you and I are, we can react just as the youngster did when we desire something.

Goals are written, possibly even a stretch goal. We develop a strategy to accomplish the goal. When the time comes to implement the strategy – “filling the form,” we want to skip some of the actual work. We want what we want, NOW. Anyone who has ever successfully changed anything or learned to do something new, knows that the change happens with small baby steps which eventually culminate with big change…just ask my husband who is learning to play the djembe.

My great-grandnephew wants a drum set – he is unwilling to work with what he has on hand. He would rather complain about what drum pads won’t do. I am afraid he is not getting drums until he engages in “filling the form.” He is ten years old. What is your excuse for not taking the next small step?

Could “filling the form” be the key to me and you reaching our goal?

PONDER THIS THOUGHT---Skipping steps to reach your goal might just be the quickest way to not reach it.