I’ve found myself reflecting multiple times in the past year on how grateful I am that my mum taught me to read simple sentences and do basic arithmetic before I started school.
I can’t understate how helpful it was in forming a positive internal narrative that “I was good at this school stuff”.
Although I was never the smartest in the class, she set off a chain reaction of virtuous cycles that carried me through primary school. It wasn’t about being “the best”, it was about building an internal confidence that no matter what the subject, I had the capacity to learn it.
Momentum begets momentum, and getting started today almost always makes tomorrow easier.