Today is my 50th year of life, and it has been a good life.

Today is not just another mile-marker on the journey of my life, but it is a major milestone.  A Jubilee happens every 50 years, and it just so happens that my 50th birthday also falls in the year that the Jews would celebrate their 70th Jubilee - if they were still celebrating it.  As a Christian, this makes my birthday extra special.

Anything worth accomplishing should be tracked, and it is easy to forget what has been accomplished when you are in the middle of a challenging experience.  Mile-markers and milestones are worth noting along a journey because they are a measure of progress, and a huge momentum maker to help continue the push to the end.

Are YOU tracking YOUR progress?  There are many ways to track progress and I want to remind you that 50 years is a number, a numeric, quantifier of progress, but there are qualitative markers too - and sometimes, these are the ones that get overlooked the most, yet - when measured, reflect the more significant moves toward a result.

I know I have lived a life of few regrets not because I count my few regrets, but because I remember the many qualitative moments along the way.  Graduating High shool and the sense of adulthood as I moved on to college and a whole new way of life, the many friends I met and the fun we had during college, my first (yes, disastrous) marriage and the two beautiful children we had that are a major part of my joy.  My re-marriage to my soulmate of 18+ years and our children together. The books I have written, the people I have served, and their feedback of the impact I have had on their lives and so much more.

Reflection on mile-markers and milestones are important on the road to success.  Be a Progress Tracker!