I am in a leadership development class for women-owned businesses, and we meet once a month. During one of our meetings, Karen, our facilitator asked us to write down 25 accomplishments we’ve had since the beginning of the year. The accomplishments could include business, personal, home, etc.
The majority of us struggled, and it was evident how difficult the assignment was to complete. Once she gave us some examples, I finally finished my list with things like— hired an employee, decluttered office, produced a video, wrote 15 personal blogs, finished my kitchen project, held a cookout on July 4th, etc. One of my colleagues listed a few and dropped her marker down on the table as she experienced a brain freeze. “This has been a tough year,” she exclaimed as she broke into tears. “I’m going through some personal challenges, and it’s blocking my ability to see anything good.”
Once the group completed their initial list, the facilitator asked us to review it and write down which successes we wanted more of in the future. What you focus on, will inevitably come to light.
So why is it so difficult to celebrate our successes? Why don’t we take the time to pat ourselves on the back and savor the moment? Most of the time, we are quickly moving on to the next conquest. Or, we often spend more time critiquing ourselves or holding on to all the bad things that have happened to us, instead of celebrating small wins.
After the Democratic National Convention last year, I wrote an article regarding tips we can learn from Michelle Obama’s speech. Since I had not yet set up my blog, I decided to submit it for possible publication in the Public Relations Society of America magazine. The magazine is distributed to thousands of PR professionals nationally. I hit the send button with great hesitation. Two days later, I received an email from the magazine editor telling me he loved the article, and they were planning to publish it that same week. What an accomplishment — I couldn’t believe it!
Celebrating your accomplishments helps create a success mindset. Here are some ways you can ensure you don’t miss your moment in the sun.
