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My younger daughter recently had her first 3-on-3 basketball tournament with a group of third and fourth grade girls. Because of tight gym schedules, we only got two practices in before the tournament. Still, buoyed by the fourth graders who had a season of basketball already under their belts, the girls got a win and comported themselves well.

My older daughter started basketball in third grade, too, and in watching one of her sister's team's games, she told her dad the younger girls didn't seem to be as good as she and her friends had been when they started. He told her he didn't think she was quite remembering things correctly.

Now in seventh grade, she and her friends had a great basketball season with their school team, with many more wins than losses, and an even better traveling season, going undefeated in three straight tournaments. My daughter has become a fantastic defender, a steady and reliable ball handler and a solid shooter. Her teammates all have grown and flourished in their respective roles, too. They are smart, capable and a joy to watch — now.

I dug out some videos of their first 5-on-5 tournament as third graders to remind her that none of them started out that way. As she watched her 9-year-old self try to play defense while facing the wrong direction or her team awkwardly run around each other on the court, she covered her face and pleaded with me to stop showing her these things, as if I were the Ghost of Basketball Past.

While I took particular parental glee in teasing her, I do truly think it's good practice to look back on where we were to appreciate where we are now. By thinking she started out better than she did, my daughter was negating all the hours she's spent dribbling in the basement and shooting in the driveway, all the afternoon and evening and Saturday morning practices, all the work her coaches have put in to improving her skills and knowledge. While she was blessed with athletic abilities, she wasn't born a good basketball player; she has worked to become a good player. And to continue to grow into the player she wants to be, it helps to remember what she has done to get to where she is.

It's the same in anything we do. I was a pretty good writer when I got out of college. But I cringe reading articles from my first professional job. Looking back, though, allows me to reflect on the skills I've learned in tightening up text, asking better questions and making clearer points. It helps me see what I still could improve, too.

It also is helpful on our farms and ranches. Say you've been implementing soil health measures. You've gone to no-till, added cover crops, put some livestock on the fields. You're not sure if it's making a difference, because the change isn't evident day to day. But in looking back at where you started, you can compare and begin to see what has worked and what hasn't.

Or say you want to improve your herd's average weaning weight in the fall. You've culled cows that wean smaller calves. You've bought bulls with better weaning weight . And you've added some creep feeders to your pasture. When you look at the calves every day, it's hard to tell if they're bigger. You might need to look back at your weights from year to year to see the progress.

We never have things figured out when we start, no matter what it is we're starting. As we put in the work to improve, it's easy to forget how far we've come. It never hurts to reflect on the journey — even if the beginning is a little embarrassing to remember.