A stepping-stone is a flat stone placed in water or muddy ground that you can step on to cross without getting wet or dirty. Picture crossing a creek: instead of wading through, you hop from one stone to the next, each one helping you get closer to the other side.

The word also describes anything that helps you progress toward a bigger goal. Learning to ride a bike with training wheels is a stepping-stone to riding without them. Mastering addition becomes a stepping-stone to multiplication. Playing on a youth soccer team might be a stepping-stone to making the middle school team.

Sometimes people worry about treating opportunities as mere stepping-stones, but recognizing that one achievement can lead to another is valuable. A paper route might be a stepping-stone to learning responsibility and earning money. Each stepping-stone can be important on its own, even as it helps you move forward in your journey.