ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS
Looking ahead is easy. But if you’re always focused on what’s ‘next’ you never acknowledge your achievements on a daily basis.
Turning your attention to the little wins
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase about how anxiety is worrying about the future, and depression is ruminating about the past. Both take us away from the present moment. Yet, all we ever have is this moment. If we live in a ‘what’s next’ mindset and frustrated by not being ‘there’ yet, we never get to be present.
I like to see the future or the bigger picture as a masterpiece that we chisel away at bit by bit. Every day we’re carving new intricacies in the sculpture that is our life. It’s easy to get weighed down by how far you still have to go. But there’s a different perspective.
Acknowledging your achievements
How often do you take a step back to witness how much progress you’ve made already? These little wins are everything. They’re the milestones that remind us that we are on the right path. By being present we are able to acknowledge our achievements and celebrate these wins, both in their entirety and as one step closer to witnessing the greater picture.
As a perfectionist, it’s been a long journey for me to see the ‘little wins’ as good enough. A few practices have helped me change this, such as journaling and being more mindful. The most significant habit for me was gratitude. This was when I really started to acknowledge my achievements, and feel fulfilled and happy in my life.
Gratitude Practice
Research has backed up the importance of maintaining a gratitude practice and how it can increase life satisfaction, wellbeing and body image. In fact, it’s one of the most significant variables in measuring happiness.
Every evening I practice gratitude. I call to my mind’s eye a few things (3-5) that I am grateful for that day. They can be little wins, or random acts of kindness, or something sacred or meaningful that I witnessed or experienced.
The magic for me is not just creating a gratitude list every day (although that is what most research has focused on), but also feeling gratitude as I do it. Feeling that warm, fuzzy, content and well, grateful, feeling allows us to embody gratitude. Rather than it being a purely thought/cerebral process, inviting in the feeling too allows us to connect our body, feelings and emotions with the things we are grateful for.
I shared this gratitude practice live on Instagram a couple of weeks ago. Check it out if you want to be guided through this practice. I share a ton of resources and inspiration on Instagram, so give me a follow if you want to see more.
Do you acknowledge your achievements? I hope this post has given you some inspiration to start celebrating your wins!
