I was looking back last night at some things I’ve written, not just on this blog, but also from an old notebook of schoolwork that spans from 1999 to 2004. Not to brag or anything, but my writing has greatly improved since I was 8 years old. It’s even improved since I was 13 years old. Looking back on just the blog posts I’ve made (8 years already, going on 9), I’d say my writing in recent years has improved a little, too.
But I’m not saying that to toot my own horn. I’m talking about looking back so you can see where you’re at now. Sometimes you aren’t sure you’re getting anywhere. Sometimes you don’t realize you’ve gotten somewhere. This can be either good or bad. Sometimes we’ve slipped into bad habits, and looking back points us in the right direction to get back to good habits. Sometimes we’ve been working towards a goal, and looking back shows us that we’ve either not made much progress or that we’ve made leaps and bounds of progress. Sometimes we’ve been working on something for months, even years, and looking back shows us that we’ve actually gotten much better than we used to be.
Looking back doesn’t always have to be disappointing, discouraging, or wishing you could go back to “the good ol’ days.” Looking back can be encouraging, thought-provoking, and quite helpful. What’s something you can look back on and say, “Wow, look at how far I’ve come!”?
Related:
Not Amazing at First
Practice
More Practice
Looking Back and Considering the Present
Out of the Past
Looking Back to Go Forward