A sense of accomplishment is the feeling of pride, satisfaction, or fulfillment that arises when you achieve a goal, complete a challenging task, or reach a significant milestone.
This emotional response results from recognizing personal effort, persistence, and success, often motivating further growth and engagement in future endeavors.
The first time I felt a sense of accomplishment, that I can remember, was finally riding a bicycle without the need of training wheels. I was 13 at the time. That’s the bogus number I tell strangers just to see the shock on their faces. Actually, I was around five years old.
As time rolls on, a sense of accomplishment, or SOA, means much more to me than ever before. I was never one to come out tops in my school classes, other than perhaps in reading scholastics.
I was a fast reader, and my reading comprehension skills were excellent, so much so that I aced the SRA programs our elementary school used, way before the other students finished theirs.
There was one classmate almost as good as me. We somewhat competed, if you could even call it that. That speed came in handy, especially when writing school and college research papers.
A sense of accomplishment was felt on graduation from high school, passing my driver’s test after two attempts, and becoming I.M. Certified in Automotive Emissions Testing. This was a tough test to pass, and I had to do so every few years.
My bicycling days still continue, and at 71, I’m happy to be able to climb onboard and peddle without falling. One crash could result in disaster, so I’m more than careful, especially after tumbling off a ladder. The days of going fast stopped years ago.
Any running is also long gone, with simple walking much more enjoyable anyway. “Slow down and smell the roses” comes to mind here, although there are no roses where I walk. Sagebrush, cactus, mesquite, sand, and rocks align the desert trails I follow. More cool stuff is found just by walking like a turtle.
A sense of accomplishment can now be obtained with simple things. The ability to bend over and still tie my shoes is one of the biggest. I would’ve never thought that routine day-to-day accomplishments would eventually reach an accolade level.
The other afternoon, I watched a man and his wife park in front of a local Lake Havasu City restaurant in a handicap spot. The aged woman was helped from the front car seat to a collapsible wheelchair. I held the door open for them and was thanked by each.
The wife wanted to sit at the table next to her husband, while he was quietly insistent that she remain in the wheelchair. Finally able to convince him that she’d be just fine, the thin and frail woman slowly rose with his help and was gently assisted into a booth.
I’m sure the sense of accomplishment she felt that evening far surpassed any I’ve had. Sadly, there probably aren’t many more days left when the two can romantically sit together.
A sense of accomplishment is necessary to remain positive. The day this ceases will be one of the saddest days of my life. For now, I’ll continue counting my blessings one by one!
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