Earlier this month, Lindsey and I welcomed our beautiful baby girl into the world. Despite the restless nights and constant state of panic, our hearts are full and we couldn’t be happier.
During this time, we’ve experienced a lot of firsts.
First time changing a diaper. First time swaddling. First time bottle feeding. First time bathing. First time burping. First time washing baby clothes. First time taking the baby to a restaurant. First time going to a baby doctor appointment. First time everything.
Me being me, each first was heavily researched. I’m scouring Reddit for baby recommendations. I’m reading every blog post I come across. I’m watching all the YouTube videos on how to perfect my parenting craft.
With this new knowledge comes expert precision. Every clean diaper is applied with maximum comfort. Every swaddle is perfectly snug. The water for the bath is exactly 100 degrees. No more, no less.
And then the second week comes. You know what happens?
Swaddles are less snug. Diapers are rushed. Bottles are given to baby either cold or warm, whatever is most convenient.
In a single week, I went from a beginner’s mindset to an expert one. And once I became an expert, my processes started to crack. I stopped following best practices and started resorting to quick execution.
The result? Baby has been a bit more fussy.
So, it’s time for a reset.
It’s time to treat each diaper like it’s the first one. Each swaddle needs perfect folds and a snug fit. And the bottle will be warm every time, because that’s what my baby prefers.
Once we get good at things, we abandon the processes, curiosity, and thoroughness that got us to greatness.
Approach everything you do with a beginner’s mindset and you’ll run laps around the experts.
