But she was forced to, being thrust into the leadership spotlight like some kind of divine spiritual saviour - whether she wanted it or not.

Her rise to power was the result of desperation from a party languishing in the polls. She was the last resort to save the party from political collapse in an election only seven weeks away.

I don't think anyone dreamed that in the space of those seven weeks, she would not only save the party, but take it to a position where it could form a Government.

It wasn't just a rise to power - it was a supersonic surge.

But it hasn't been without hurdles and botch-ups along the way. Her insistence to form a 'Tax Working Group' plagued her entire campaign, and she failed to allay fears that she'd impose new taxes on hardworking Kiwis and their homes.

It forced her to ease back from the policy in the last weeks of the campaign - but the damage had been done.

Then was the promise of a water tax, which riled farmers and confused voters, and she earned the nickname 'Taxinda'.

The furore over the imaginary $11.7b hole in Labour's finances was poorly managed too. As was the failure to shut down National's constant claims she would increase income tax.

While she did eventually call out both of these claims as the lies they were, it came too late. She let the lies simmer away in the minds of voters, instead of nipping them in the bud.

The sheer magnitude of Jacinda Ardern's popularity exposed some serious shortcomings in Labour's management - they were so out of practise and not used to having a leader constantly in hot demand.

It meant running a smooth and slick campaign was out of the question. Everything was changeable, decisions were made on the hoof and it really didn't look like the party was ready to govern.

However, Jacinda Ardern's personal performance hid much of that from the public and since becoming Prime Minister, her performance has become more and more solid.



She united two political foes - NZ First and the Greens - and formed a Government with them both. That's no easy feat.

She has to work closely with Winston Peters as her Deputy Prime Minister - that's no easy feat either.

This won't last forever, though. The honeymoon period will end.

The true scale of what her Government has promised will hit home and the task of delivering will be a constant thorn in her side.

Her Government has to build and deliver thousands of affordable homes, it has to spend billions fixing the health system, eradicate poverty, plant a billion trees, re-enter Pike River Mine and get National onside for a legally binding carbon-neutral goal.

She has to keep the finances together and just as importantly, keep her coalition together.

And then there's dealing with what she can't control - doubt from everyone on a daily basis that she's too young or too inexperienced, or in over her head, or that her gender means she's less capable, or that she should be having children, or should be married.

The list goes on.

Jacinda Ardern is not only managing a difficult coalition that's rolling out radical changes quickly, she's doing so in the face of adversity, whether it's everyday sexism or ageism, or just pure nastiness, like being called a "pretty little communist".

While she's a reluctant leader, she's also a natural leader. Seeing her in action, she's comfortable, empathetic, decisive and can be steely when she needs to be.

Most importantly, she's popular and genuine.

But the path ahead isn't an easy one to navigate. The seas will get rough, the storms will come and go, and they will test her like never before.

But that's in the future. This story is about 2017 and her journey from list MP to Prime Minister in just eight months.

It will go down in history as one of the cleanest and monumental political ascensions in global democracy.

She woke up on New Year's Day as a list MP. By February 25, she was the MP for Mt Albert.

Four days later, she became deputy leader. Five months after that, she became leader.

And just over two months after that, she was sworn in as Prime Minister.

It's incredible, whatever way you look at it.