When I was thinking about the theme of the month for February, I realized that one phrase kept popping up in my head throughout January and February. This phrase was on my mind when I was actively taking steps toward my goals, and it would haunt me in the quiet moments when I rested. Maybe you’ve thought or said this too: I should’ve done [this] sooner.
You don’t have to be a writer to fall into comparison traps. Even if you’re only comparing yourself to the person you wanted to be, there are times when it’s hard not to be hard on yourself. It’s easy to remember when you could’ve done [this], but you didn’t for one reason or another. Maybe the real or perceived cost dissuaded you. Maybe you didn’t have the time, bandwidth, or courage. Something stood between you and the next step.
And yet, even when you’ve finally overcome the obstacles and finished [this]—a moment worth celebrating!—that phrase might still come to mind: I should’ve done [this] sooner.
It’s no wonder I burned out after Superstars; not only was I challenging myself to finish multiple projects on a tight timeline, but after I checked them off my list, I didn’t celebrate those achievements. I told myself that “a win is a win,” but I gave myself a lot of grief for taking so long. I should’ve done [this], [that], and [the other] sooner.
This weekend, the Pioneers played the Sun Devils. If you only watched the first period of both Friday and Saturday night’s games, you might think the Pioneers were swept at home. Both nights, ASU scored first, and in hockey, that first goal can set the tone for the rest of the game.
On Friday, ASU scored the lone goal of, not just the first period, but the first thirty minutes of play. Even after DU tied it up, less than a minute later, ASU was on top again. DU wouldn’t miss the NCHC playoffs if they lost, but our national ranking would suffer. I wanted DU to score—fast. I knew the Pioneers could, they’d had good looks, but the puck hadn’t met the back of the net yet. Then, late in the second period, the floodgates opened. DU went on to score the next, not 1, but 4 goals, winning 5-2.
On Saturday, after ASU’s goal early in the first period, DU answered less than a minute later, tying the game. The game remained tied through the first and second intermission. In the span of less than four minutes, DU scored 3 goals in the third period. The Pioneers won the game 4-1. With that win, we secured the sweep and the #2 seed in our conference playoffs.
Neither game started the way I wanted, and at times we had to fight from behind, but both nights, DU tallied 4 unanswered goals and won. I might’ve taken longer to reach certain milestones and complete projects than I planned, but I made progress until I succeeded. February’s theme of the month is this: the best time to plant a tree was years ago; the second-best time is now.
What are your goals? What is the smallest step you could take today to get closer to achieving one of those goals? Plant that tree, then don’t forget to celebrate.
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