Woodpeckers

Across the street from my house is an old pecan tree. It's pretty old and for the most part has outlived its usefulness. There's one hanging limb on that tree that's broken at the top and rotting on that end. Now like I said, it's pretty far gone, it barely produces any pecans and doesn't offer much shade. But still, nearly every morning, as the sun is breaking the dawn, you can hear the ratta', tap, tap, of a redheaded woodpecker slowly tapping out a hole at the end of that rotting limb. 

Now it's rare enough to see a woodpecker in town, even one as small as this one. So I consider myself lucky to see this bird working on their job every morning. After seeing and hearing this guy or gal (not sure which one does the work) in the morning. It got me thinking, here he or she is tapping away at that old tree, steady at it, for two weeks now. Craving out just a little at a time until he or she is done. 

You know, our lives are that way. We see a long-term goal we want to meet and we tap, tap, away at it until we finish it. And although the short-term milestones of that goal may seem small now, just a few wood chips laying on the ground. Eventually we end up with a ready-made condo in the sky, so-to-speak. You see, goals require you to be stubborn and tenacious. And although, that woodpecker flies away as the sun continues moving up, he or she returns most every morning just before sunrise to tap, tap, tap, again. 

As I look back over the last four years, I can see how by meeting the goals I've set, goal setting has become alittle easier. But it all begins with that first one. So, if your frustrated with how things are turning out or you don't feel you goals are progressing fast enough. Maybe you should take a walk in the woods, and if your lucky, you can hear a distant tap, tap, tap, of steady progress yourself.