I watched my five-year old son work on a puzzle. After he completed it, he was ready to do it again. He was intrigued by the idea of putting each piece in the right place and seeing a picture form. Each time he completed the puzzle, he got faster. As we grow older, we get disinterested in doing the same thing over and over. Many times we do not give way to repetition. We are ready to give up at the first sign of an obstacle or challenge.

The other day, I put an event together and there weren’t quite as many people in attendance as I had hoped and someone that attended the event told me, “It’s just a start. You have to keep doing it.” My first thought was to abandon ship and try something else.

In 1949, Canadian psychologist Donald Hebb postulated a theory in which he said that “the persistence or repetition of a reverberatory activity tends to induce lasting cellular changes that add to its stability.” Another way of saying this is “cells that fire together, wire together.”** Much can be gained from doing things over and over again. Eventually, something happens in the brain that changes the wiring and produces different results. There is always something to be gained during the experience each time you re-create the action or task. As long as you are learning during the process and making progress each time, you are moving forward. Eventually, you will reach your goal.

Be careful of giving up too soon. Keep going and keep learning during the process.

~Coletta Jones Patterson

*Coletta is an author, business executive, life/business coach and speaker who is passionate about helping others go beyond stuck. Her latest book, “Beyond Stuck: Creating the Life You Want” is available on Amazon.com. Connect with Coletta at info@moveu4ward.com.

** Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1499049. Accessed 27 Feb 2019.