Flopping Forward
Life reflected in an infant’s first movements
My baby is seven months old, and it’s so much fun to watch him learn about the world. Since he hit the half-year mark, he has gained an exciting freedom that many adults take for granted: the ability to move. No longer is he restricted to looking at and feeling (and tasting!) the immediate environment we’ve curated for him. Now he can roll, slide, pivot, and scoot his way to explore new places that he never knew existed, and every day, he gets a little better at it.
Although most humans eventually settle on the same style of locomotion—walking upright on two legs—the path that infants take to get there can vary. Some babies master the traditional crawl, while others do a bear crawl, shuffle on their bottoms, or roll. My little guy has even experimented with sliding across the floors on his back, head first, pushing off with one foot until he quite literally hits a wall.
But I characterize my baby's main motion as “flopping.” It’s not quite a crawl. He pushes up into a plank position, straight arms, then pushes off his feet, flops down to his belly, and pulls his arms back around as though he’s speed-rowing his way out to sea.
It's kind of hilarious. Kind of adorable. And it's also kind of inspiring, because it’s such a fitting picture of life.
Careers can look like this. Far from a smooth, coordinated motion, my work life—and maybe yours, too—has been as awkwardly productive as my infant’s gross motor skills.
I decided on a career goal. Eyes on the prize. I got the certification I needed. Push up. I got the entry-level job. Lean into it.
Then I realized that the path I had chosen wasn’t leading where I wanted to go. Flop.
But that isn’t the end.
Pivot. Turn around and start back in a different path. Find a new career goal. Start small and grow it. Push forward. Lean into it. Hold steady, like my seven-month-old in a plank position. Flop down. Lift your arms. Take a deep breath. Call out in excitement. Gain momentum.
Eventually you get there.
Love life can be like this too. You get in a rhythm—your relationship. Your stride. Then there's a bump. Lose your balance. Flop. But you can't just stay there on your belly. Push back up. Look up. Find a new target—a toy to chew, or a partner worth pursuing. Struggle with all your might. Dig in your toes. (Digging in your heels is for people who don't want to go anywhere.) Keep going until you find it.
The struggle is real in the moment. But when you step back outside the situation, the frustrations and setbacks and the awkward motions are almost funny.
If you flop forward often enough, fast enough, you'll get there.
You just have to choose a direction. The baby chooses: the rattle, the ball, Mumma’s foot, or the shiny metal water bottle that Daddy left on the floor. He's determined. Place something particularly enticing in his sight—say, a delicate drinking glass or my cell phone—and he’ll flop forward with all his might until he reaches the goal.
If my little man can flop his way to his destination, you can get to yours too.
- MJ
Life of You
What does flopping forward look like in your life?