Working toward your big dreams often means you’re so focused on the road ahead you’ve forgotten the hard work and progress you’ve already made. Take some time to slow down for a minute and appreciate your success. Every step you took is a small win that got you here. So, shower yourself in love with these tips:
Better than before mentality
Sometimes when we make a mistake or miss a small goal we turn to criticize ourselves first. We say things like, “I should have made more appointments this week” or “I’m such an idiot for that rooky mistake.” Instead, we should be saying “what did I do better than before?” Learning takes time and we don’t suddenly become masters at a skill after a few days. If you made even one less mistake, put aside one more dollar, or even avoided a bad habit for a day, that’s better than what you did yesterday.
Share good news
Promoting yourself is the best mood booster and self-advertisement you could ask for. Nothing feels better than sharing with the world all your hard work. Post about it on LinkedIn or share pictures on your social media. Everyone wants to see your new office space or meet the client that reached their goal because of you. It may become the launching point to achieve your next goal.
Gratitude for your circle
You’ve battled obstacles to climb the corporate ladder. There are still struggles to come, but there are people beside you helping you along the way. Share your gratitude for mentors, consultants, sponsors, friends, and others who gave you that push to keep going.
What are you proud of?
Make a list of what you have been proud of in the past few months. It’s a quick way to appreciate your success plus forces you to remember with a positive mindset instead of a negative one. Think of what you crossed off your list and something really difficult you overcame. What about those are you proud of? How did it help you to do what you’re doing now?
Shorten your todo list
One factor that could be inhibiting your self-appreciation is a very long to-do list. If your list has ten to twenty different things on it that you never seem to accomplish in a week, then you’ll always feel like you’re not doing enough. It may be time to break down your goal into smaller bites and reprioritize.
Appreciate what went well
Everyone has rough days where it feels like nothing went right. You had a flat tire, your boss dumped extra work on you, your lunch was eaten by someone else, and you forgot to bake something for your kid’s fundraiser at school. At the end of the day, sit with yourself and think about what went well. Even if it was eating three meals and drinking really good coffee.
Set a time
You’ve got a jam-packed schedule balancing work, family, and personal development. It’s easy to get lost in working hard for the future and finding no time for the present. Yet, try to set aside a constant time in the day, week, or even once a month where you acknowledge your accomplishments, practice gratitude, and most of all feel present.
Celebrate your way
However you feel celebrated, take the time to do it! Whether it’s going to a bar after work with co-workers, shopping for a new purse, a date night, or even time with your girlfriends, take some time to celebrate yourself.
Share your accomplishments with your IAW community! We want to hear all the wonderful things our members are achieving and there are women around the globe who can cheer you on. All members can write on our community boards here!
