When was the last time you acknowledged and appreciated yourself?
That’s right: You celebrating YOU. Not your spouse, not your children, not your boss, co-workers or friends. When was the last time you applauded you?
If you’re like most people, you probably can’t recall. Either because it was too long ago or you simply just don’t celebrate your victories.
If this sounds familiar, it’s time to reframe how you look at your success and progress. Zeroing in on accomplishments that didn’t happen puts your focus on what you lack, rather than on what you have (the things you did experience and accomplish). This subtle mental trap leads to a host of negative consequences, which usually lead to attracting more lack.
So if it’s been too long since you have given yourself a pat on the back, then you need to take the time right now to acknowledge and appreciate yourself for everything you’ve accomplished today, throughout the year, and in life.
A periodic review of accomplishments is essential to the process of growth, goal achievement, and becoming unstoppable. The key is to acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate what you did accomplish, and then to refocus on the goals that you still want to achieve.
When we focus on what we haven’t achieved as opposed to what we’ve accomplished, we may feel like a failure. As a result, our self-esteem can take a hit, we can become disheartened and discouraged, and our motivation drops. Some people actually become depressed.
So instead of focusing on where you may have come up short, ask yourself: How many times have you succeeded in the past month? The past year? The past 10 years? Are you able to recall your successes as easily as your failures and missteps?
This is not a selfish or egotistical act in the least. By taking the time to stop and appreciate who you are and what you’ve achieved—and perhaps learned through a few mistakes, stumbles and losses—you actually can enhance everything about you!
Self-acknowledgment and appreciation are what give you the insights and awareness to move forward toward higher goals and accomplishments.
High achievers will tell you that among their secrets for becoming unstoppable is a regular prac- tice of acknowledging and appreciating what they have and what they have accomplished. Doing so can offer an oracle into the future because it not only tells you where you are, but it also helps clarify where you want to go in life. Wherever that might be. The road then becomes easier to navigate—easier to see from the distance and walk confidently step by step.