What’s your definition of
success? The fact is that success means different things to each of us. Do you
measure success by how much money you make, your possessions, or social status?
Maybe you count how blessed you areto have great friends, a happy
marriage or peace of mind as successes to celebrate?
I countall of the above as
successes!
I was having a conversation with
a client last month who was beating herself up for “not doing” enough. She has
high professional standards and an endless to-do list. Listening to all of her
daily accomplishments, I started to chuckle at how hard she was on herself. I
imagined a woman looking like an old school marm - ya know with her hair
pulled in a tightbun, pointing a finger and scowling.
I pulled out my Webster’s
Dictionary and looked up the definition for accomplishment.
It said “the act or state of completing something successfully“.
Well, this really opened up the
conversation! She never really defined accomplishments like that before! Now,
she began to look at everything she successfully completed (personally and
in her business) during the course of the day, as an accomplishment.
She began to include things like answering part of her emails, getting her
daughter off to school, doing the first draft of an article -
things she never would have counted before because they weren’t totally
completed! Her whole attitude shifted. Being
able to see accomplishments in a different way allowed her to feel more
successful. Get it?
Here’s an example:
Let’s say you’re working on a
project like creating a product. You’ve laid out an action plan with
specific steps and timelines for product development and marketing.
Each step you complete counts as an accomplishment AND a success. Guess why
some people lose motivation? You got it! Because they don’t give themselves the
recognition and pats on the back for the small steps along the way. PS - that
why we create short-term goals along with long-term ones! We need those
WHOO-HOOS!
Here’s your call to
action:
Develop a habit of acknowledging your daily accomplishments and write
them down. I encourage folks to start a success journal. If you already have
one, I want you to get really specific and acknowledge both your tangible and
intangible successes - like having the willingness to do this exercise (and
doing it!). See how many things you can recognize during the course of
the day. Include the things you take for granted and do without thinking. Make
it a game! In time, this will become a powerfull resource and living
document you can refer towhen you need a nudge or a boost (especially
from YOU!)
