Celebrating small victories

Do you ever feel like celebrating small victories?

I mean really small victories.

We had a dripping tap in our house which didn’t respond well to something as simple as a new washer. The dripping just kept getting worse even after I’d braved the world of plumbing and put a new washer in the tap.

I finally got around to finding the right bits and pieces to get everything working and I sorted it out on the weekend. I grabbed a tap reseating tool and started grinding the inside of the tap a fraction of a millimetre at a time. By the time I’d finished with it, the tap no longer dripped and all was well.

I know that would be no big deal for most of the population but I’m hopeless as a handyman so it was a major triumph for me. It may have been a bit over the top to throw a party to celebrate so I had to settle for a deep sense of achivement ….. over stopping a tap from dripping.

How about you? Are there things that everyone else can do blindfolded but when you do them you feel like celebrating? Are there things that everyone else mastered years ago but you have to really work at to get anywhere?

Posted by Rodney Olsen

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About the author

Rodney Olsen

Rodney is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger and podcaster from Perth Western Australia.

He previously worked in radio for about 25 years but these days he spends his time at Compassion Australia, working towards releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name.

The views he expresses here are his own.

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9 Comments

  • Well, you saved yourself a minimum of $65 for a call out fee, so that might put your achievment in perspective! What could you do with that $65? Buy your family groceries for half a week?
    Support a sponsor child for a month and a half…..
    help your church support a youth pastor?
    Heaps of things!

    I recently installed a new flicker tap in my kitchen, had to fit new fittings as well because the old tap was about 8 years old, and apparently the new ones dont use the old fittings anymore. I calculated I saved myself at least $150 by doing it myself….Thats our sponsor child supported for almost 4 months!! What would I have done with that two hours I spent? Well I chose to include my son in the experience, great learning for him, double value!

  • I’m so incompetent at so many things, and so hesitant to attempt so many other things, that any time I accomplish anything it’s a major victory for me. Even after 29 years of marriage, my hubby gets tickled and just smiles when I “DO” something! 😀

  • Celebrating small victories? You bet, especially if they’re of the tech nature. I’m off to explore your site. Blessings, e-Mom

  • Congratulations on your achievement! Something I do that helps. Keep a notebook and write down your successes…that way the next time you come up short (like I often do) you’ll have something to bring your spirits up. Blessings! Chris

  • I used duck tape (or is it duct tape??) years ago to repair my dripping tap in our bath room. And guess what? It still does the job! Yep, I am the handyman in the house.
    And talking about ‘little’ victories, the Dutch are European football champs under 21 AGAIN. Does that count too?

  • Well done Rodney. That is a small job in the grand scheme of things, but very big if it is dripping all night and keeping you awake!

    BTW, you’ve reminded me to fix mine!

  • Excellent! Well done with the tap! I wouldn`t know what to do with that problem! Maths is my major obstacle at the moment. My uni course at the moment involves maths as well and I`m finding it VERY difficult. Alot of people seem to get to grip with maths but not me!?

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