One Step at a Time

One more thing I wish we had found time to talk about today is the need to recognize that we learn and progress, as the scriptures teach us, line upon line -- precept on precept. 


Elder Wirthlin made a wonderful statement about this:

In most cases, growth comes slowly—one step at a time. We understand this when it comes to mastering a musical instrument, becoming an accomplished athlete, or flying a jet aircraft. Yet, we often can scarcely forgive ourselves when we don’t make the progress we expect in all areas of our own lives. 

Great sculptors and artists spend countless hours perfecting their talents. They don’t pick up a chisel or a brush and palette, expecting immediate perfection. They understand that they will make many errors as they learn, but they start with the basics, the key fundamentals first.

He then went on to say that he himself would end each day with writing himself a to-do list for the next day with the items in order of priority. He says he would use that list to focus his attention on the most important things and finish the item on the top of the list before moving on to the item below it. He says that at the end of the day there were often tasks left on the list that he had not completed, but -- here's the important part -- he said, "I don't become discouraged, however, because I'm focusing my energies on the things that matter most" (General Conference, October 2003).

If we do a good job prioritizing, we will not become depressed about not completing the less important things; instead, we can rejoice in knowing we did accomplish the most important things for that day!