The normal boiling point of water is 100°C (or 212°F) at sea level.
If you take a pot of room temperature water, put it on the stove and heat it up, you are transferring thermal energy to the water.
Eventually, that water will become saturated with thermal energy, and it will change phases from liquid to gas. This is called vaporization.
When the water is at this boiling point, the vapour pressure of the liquid is strong enough to overcome the surrounding atmospheric pressure. This means bubbles of vapour can form anywhere throughout the pot of water. And, so the water boils.
Let’s take a moment to think about the boiling point of water as a metaphor for achieving our goals.
SEOT is an acronym to help us get the most out of life. The O stands for Optimize.
(It’s explained more in the goal setting slideshow)
SEOT Step to Success #11 is to STICK TO THE PLAN
Sometimes, it takes time for a plan to work.
If you’ve been driving in the wrong direction for a while, it can take some time to get back on course.
When you put a pot of water on the stove, and turn the heat on, you’re on the right path to boiling water. Just because you don’t see results right away doesn’t mean your plan isn’t working. It can take a few minutes before the water starts to bubble and a few more before the water starts to boil.
In other words, at the beginning, it can look like nothing is working even though you’re on the right track. You just need to give it time to be able to see progress.
- Just because you spend one night doing homework doesn’t mean you’ll ace your next test.
- Just because you do one workout doesn’t mean you’ll get shredded.
- Just because you save 10% of your income for one paycheck doesn’t mean you’ll have enough to retire.
But, these are all steps in the right direction. Sometimes, you need to give it time and stick to the plan.
Yes, there may be better ways to boil water.
- Put the lid on.
- Use a smaller burner.
- Try the microwave.
- Use an electric kettle.
But, make sure you give your current plan enough time to see what the results are like.
Think about your goals.
- What strategies are you using to try to reach your goal?
- What are you measuring to see if things are progressing?
- How much time do you think it might take before you start to see results?
- Why do you think that?
There’s no right or wrong answer, but sometimes, you need to stick to the plan instead of just changing plans right away when things don’t work as you hoped.
Good luck!
(Hey, teachers! Check out this growth mindset lesson package or this 2021 New Year’s Resolution lesson plan!)