By Rebecca Rodskog, Rodskog Change Consulting
A few months ago we talked about the 5 tools for successful growth. Celebration is the last of those tools, and the one that most people forget about. And it is OH so powerful. We are good at celebrating our children’s or love one’s accomplishments, but what about our own? How often do you pat yourself on the back for all you do? Or point it out to friends so that they can celebrate the wonderfulness of you? Probably not enough.
Celebration is powerful because it reminds you to focus on the wonderfulness of your accomplishments, which in turn attracts more accomplishments and celebration! Who doesn’t want THAT kind of a life – one steeped in gratitude and love and celebration? I’m going to give you a few tips on how to celebrate YOU and all that you’ve done:
Celebration: Taking the Time to Take Note – Top tips for Celebrating YOU
1. Sit down for ½ an hour and write a list of all you did this year – make sure to include everything – not just the things that you set out to do at the beginning of the year, but all the other things that came up along the way (and yes, keeping the family in clean clothes all year COUNTS)! It may help to go month by month.
2. To knock #1 up a notch, have a celebration party with your family where you all get to talk about what you did and every do the list with your kids and spouse — have them make a list, too – and share! And then eat cake to celebrate!
3. At the end of each day, write down at least three things that you did that day. Again, the little things TOTALLY count (for some newborn mommies, this may be getting a shower!). If doing this daily is too much, try doing it weekly, maybe with your spouse or children during dinner.
4. At the end of the year, write a holiday letter, discussing what your family was up to. If you’re shy about listing all your “accomplishments,” you can talk in generalizations about all the things you are grateful for. This bit of reflection will help you realize all you accomplished, even if you aren’t listing it out in detail.
5. Before setting goals (resolutions), take the time to think about what you accomplished already and why. Chances are, the things you accomplished were value-based and gave you joy, vs. things that you felt you “should†do. Make sure your list for 2009 is full of things that will make you feel good!
6. Treat yourself!!! When you DO accomplish something, make sure you are celebrating it! Take yourself out for coffee, buy yourself something, or if that’s not in your budget, reward yourself with an hour of pleasure-reading or a bath. There are a million ways to give yourself the recognition you need and deserve. Make a list of all the things that you think are “extrasâ€, and keep it handy to use when you want to celebrate something.
7. Write about it: if you keep a journal, make sure to have an extra space for “things I did today/this week/this yearâ€. If you don’t regularly journal, write yourself a letter as if you were your own mom or dad, touting off all of your accomplishments and how proud you are of them.
8. “One for you, one for me!†When you find yourself touting the praises of someone else (family, friend or other), take two seconds to think of something that you’ve done well or you are proud of. Even if you just think it in your head, it will get you used to recognizing all that you do!
Here’s to all you do and all you will do in 2009!
Next Month: Gratitude: How being grateful is the key to attracting all that you want in life!
Got a question for Rebecca? We’d love to hear from you! Tell us how you celebrate your own accomplishments and we’ll enter you in a drawing for a free coaching session with Rebecca! Email: heather@thewellmom.com
Rebecca Rodskog is a NYC based personal life coach, change management consultant, actress and mom. She has worked with corporations and individuals for over 15 years helping them grow through change in the workplace and at home. For more information, check out www.rodskog.com
