Do you ever stop to Congratulate Yourself?
A New Year is upon us. Before you go any further STOP! Have you looked back and seen all that you were able to accomplish last year? If you haven’t, you MUST do so now. It’s a great time to do so. How do you celebrate yourself if you don’t look at everything you’ve done?
I have always had a hard time congratulating myself. I actually have to remind myself to do so. I so often do not see all that I have done in my own life. This is a disservice to me and a disservice to my clients. Here’s why:
I’m a forward thinker. I look at the dreams ahead and the tasks of the day. I see the challenges and how to overcome them. Then, I take action and continue to look ahead so the obstacles that might come up, I can easily get through. But that doesn’t give me much time to congratulate me on what I HAVE done.
This serves no one well because you have no referecne point to really appreciate your strengths and your abilities because you are simply doing what needs to be done! Taking time to celebrate yourself allows you to embrace the determined spirit you hear inside of you…to believe in you and have faith in the outcomes ahead.
If you do not celebrate & congratulate YOU: The Cycle will begin again and this serves no one. So, to break this cycle, you MUST celebrate yourself for all that you do. Celebrate YOU. Congratulate YOU. For you do more than you could ever think you do.
You can celebrate simply by acknowledging your achievements (Of course, it doesn’t hurt to give yourself a trinket or have a glass of champagne 😉 You can Celebrate yourself at the end of a period of time: the day, a month, a year. OR, you can congratulate yourself at a time when a project is completed or a milestone reached but it needs to be done.
I just did this for myself this year. I wrote down a list of all the things I had accomplished in relationships, with my family, in my businesses and in my own personal development. It was an amazing experience. So, Grab your calendar, Review your Year and Celebrate Yourself. Congratulate Yourself for all that you did achieve. And, Let me know below what you are proudest of!!!
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Thanks for reminding me to look back at all I did in 2012! Wow Im tired already. Blessings to you for a Happy New Year!
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Laura Clark Reply:
December 31st, 2012 at 9:04 pm
You should be tired, Lorraine! you had an awesome 2012!!! Happy Happy to you 🙂
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Comment by Lorraine Duncan — December 31, 2012 @ 5:57 pm
yes i struggle with this too. i have a hard time acknowledging accomplishments and haven’t kept up a gratitude journa consistently either. i’m sure it would help.
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Laura Clark Reply:
January 1st, 2013 at 12:50 pm
Janet! It’s so hard. We are often told ‘don’t brag’ ‘be humble’ ‘be satisfied with less than’ ‘don’t reach to high ~ you’ll be disappointed’ As a solo-prenuer, I often work alone and there is no one around to give me the congratulations when a job is well done. When I started keeping a log of what I accomplished each day, month and reviewed it, it only served to inspire me to continue what i do. Let me know if you decide to start a journal and how I can support you! KEEP SMILING 🙂
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Comment by janet — January 1, 2013 @ 10:39 am
I love this Laura! Thanks for sharing, and yes, I will remember now to congratulate myself! 😀
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Laura Clark Reply:
January 1st, 2013 at 3:30 pm
Yipee Terry on your congratulating yourself ~ (and, for taking the ‘courage’ to join the blog challenge!) You’re fantabulous!! KEEP SMILING
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Comment by Terry — January 1, 2013 @ 1:03 pm
Laura, this is so important! As the youngest woman in a family of conservative men, I’ve struggled with knowing this inside yet being looked down upon when I spoke up. No more! Thank you for the post!!
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Laura Clark Reply:
January 1st, 2013 at 6:23 pm
You’re welcome, Nicole! I grew up with not one older brother but 300! As the daughter of a private school master, I was surrounded by boys and men and was often delegated to the corner and told to ‘stifle’ ~ literally….guess, that’s why I tended to have a big mouth as a child. No one could keep me quiet. Fortunately, I’ve grown older and wiser and speak more compassionately instead of competitively ;-). It is hard for women to congratulate themselves for fearing to look egotistical, bratty….Celebrate loudly and uproariously, Nicole! At least to yourself 😉
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Comment by Nicole Cavanaugh — January 1, 2013 @ 6:04 pm
I do struggle with celebrating the small stuff. If I don’t accomplish the big goals I feel like a failure.
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Laura Clark Reply:
January 2nd, 2013 at 11:20 am
Alyssa~ that’s one of the things so many people struggle with…if the BIG thing doesn’t get done, they don’t see all that DID get accomplished! It’s the forest for the tree syndrome. I have my To-Do list and it has check boxes next to each little item and I do a little hoot when I check it off and when I can put a big check through the page…it’s a holler I give!!!! You are never a failure no matter what you accomplish!!!!! KEEP SMILING
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Comment by Alyssa — January 1, 2013 @ 9:27 pm
This is such a struggle – to really give ourselves credit for all we have done. I think I struggle from “never enough” syndrome! It’s a relief to look back and see what has really happened – it’s huge for us achievers 🙂 Thanks, Laura!
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Laura Clark Reply:
January 2nd, 2013 at 11:17 am
So Huge Sandi ~ for achievers AND GIVERS!!!!! 🙂
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Comment by Sandi Gordon — January 1, 2013 @ 9:44 pm
Thanks Laura! I get so caught up in the ‘doing’ that I sometimes don’t realize or appreciate what I’ve actually accomplished! It helps to have this list available when planning for the new year too, so that you can see for yourself what you are capable of accomplishing. Happy New Year!
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Laura Clark Reply:
January 2nd, 2013 at 11:16 am
It sure does!!!! Looking back is so important to looking forward and the lists come in so handy! Happy New Year and KEEP SMILING 🙂
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Comment by Linda DiBella — January 2, 2013 @ 10:56 am
This was the first year that I consciously reviewed all I accomplished, all that happened, and acknowledged both the yummy stuff and the less than appetizing. It felt so good to be honest and appreciative, AND to then release 2012 fully so I can be open to a new year.
One thing that struck me while reading your post was, what if, at the end of every month or even every week, we took the time to celebrate and congratulate ourselves for what we manifested during that time? It sounds like a good ritual for the new year!
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Laura Clark Reply:
January 3rd, 2013 at 1:51 pm
Nancy! I love the ‘and release it so you can be open to a new year’ I think that’s a great insight! I’m going to add that to what I do at the end of each month!! THANKS! HAPPY NEW YEAR 🙂
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Comment by Nancy Tierney — January 3, 2013 @ 1:35 pm
Acknowledgement of self is so key to success. Thank you for the gentle reminder! Look forward to sharing time with you at Lightworkers! You ARE indeed a Lightworker!
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Laura Clark Reply:
January 4th, 2013 at 7:37 pm
It’s something that is so hard for so many people, Phylis ~ especially givers! Can’t wait to see you next week ~ over-the-moon excited 🙂
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Comment by phyllis — January 4, 2013 @ 9:58 am
Great post Laura… This is a lesson I only recently learned… I never knew the impact it could have. When I held my end of year meeting with other members of our concierge association, this was an exercise I had everyone go through together so that we could celebrate each other.
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Laura Clark Reply:
January 5th, 2013 at 7:25 pm
That is terrific, Kelly ! To do that with association members must have been really amazing 🙂 It really does have an amazing effect on one’s motivation, self-esteem and courage~ Happy New Year and I’ll be the first to congratulate you on what an amazing 2013 (NOT a typo 😉 You Will Have!
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Comment by Kelly — January 5, 2013 @ 7:19 pm