|  Our
back yard is large enough that my son, Frank, and three
of his neighborhood buddies used it to practice their
pole vaulting. They would run from the northeast corner
across the lawn to the southwest corner where we had a
sawdust pit and crossbar set up. They spent many an hour
running and jumping. By raising the crossbar they flew
higher and higher. Eventually, each young man became a
school champion. Frank's son, Mike, also won awards in
pole-vaulting. Each young man succeeded by consistently
raising his bar.
When I ran the music store, I learned to set goals. The
memory of my son's success helped me set goals that were
higher and higher. I found it was important to not compare
my progress with anyone else, but only with myself. By
keeping careful records, I was able to compare each year's
total deposits to the previous year and then set a goal
for a 10% increase in next year's deposits.
 When
I taught music, I had students who, when they were ready
to compete in festivals, started working on their big
main selection a year ahead of the scheduled competition.
It seemed overwhelming to them when they began, but, by
taking a small amount at a time and constantly raising
the bar, they eventually perfected their selection
to the point of winning an award. Because they carefully
perfected each step along the way, it remained in their
memory bank afterwards. The longer they worked on a selection,
the longer they retained it. The quicker they learned,
the quicker they forgot it.
 Like
a child who crawls, then stands, then takes a few shaky
steps before actually walking, it is easy to progress
if we take a step at a time. We've all watched toddlers
who were too anxious and constantly took tumbles. This
is a lot like life itself. When we become impatient and
try to force our progress, our achievements are not as
dependable. "Haste Makes Waste" is
a truism we ought to remember if we expect to constantly
raise our bar and progress to new heights.
I have an 82-year-old, white-haired little neighbor, wife
of a 93-year-old retired minister, who began playing the
piano as a young girl, and has constantly practiced, so
she can still play complicated concertos. What a treat
it is to view this tiny, white-haired female's fingers
flying over the keys and pounding out perfection because
she has regularly raised her bar. Her husband
is a gifted poet and he too, never gave up, maintaining
his talent and raising his bar so he can still
write inspirational verse, which he shares with others.
They are living proof of the benefits derived from consistently
raising our bars no matter what our age may be.
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