Valuing Effort Amongst Mixed Performance

Lately I've been getting my midterm grades back, and honestly, it's been a mixed bag. Some came back better than I expected. Others, not so much. What I do know is that I gave every single one of them everything I had. In an ideal world I'd be pulling A's across the board, but when you're juggling a full load of hard classes at the same time, that's not always how it plays out. And I've had to make peace with that.

The real shift has been learning to value effort for what it is, not just what it produces. Results matter, don't get me wrong. But a grade doesn't always tell the full story of what you actually know or how hard you worked to get there. That's a tough thing to internalize when you're sitting with a score that doesn't feel like it reflects your preparation.

What's been frustrating me lately is how much one mistake can cost on an exam. In real life we make mistakes every single day and we move on. We have to. So why do we let a wrong answer on a test carry so much weight long after the test is over? At some point we have to let it go, or we end up punishing ourselves more than the mistake ever deserved. I'm still working on that one.

Anyway, that's my little tangent on academics as I head into a week that I am fully committed to keeping school-free. I hope you get that same kind of mental break soon, whatever it looks like for you.

Until next week, I'm praying for you,

James

Have you ever had a period of time where you felt your results weren't matching your efforts? How did you work through that time?