Connect & Grow Magazine: Issue 15: November - December 2024
The beginning or end of a year is a great opportunity to review our year. Reflecting helps us see more clearly what we want to continue or change.
You can think about the highlights and lowlights, what worked and what didn’t. Also, consider what you feel proud about and want to celebrate from the past year.
On a piece of paper, write a list of what you’re proud about.
Consider:
Have you reached any significant milestones or stages?
Did you achieve or make significant progress towards your goals?
Have you celebrated any other noteworthy occasions, anniversaries, or events?
Did you do something that you didn't originally think you could?
Have you tried something new for the first time?
This is not all about receiving awards and external recognition. You might also like to think about times when you felt great satisfaction within yourself.
It doesn't need to be a long list of things you've done. It may be about how you approached something, the feedback you’ve received, and where you’ve been part of a team or supported someone else.
This ‘proud’ list is not considered bragging and can be for your eyes only.
If you're finding it hard to think of things to celebrate and be proud of, it may help to see celebration as a form of appreciation.
I love this quote by Jamie Ridler: "Celebration is gratitude’s twin sister."
It's a reminder that celebration is about honouring and recognising our efforts. You don’t need to be loud or extravagant about it. No one else really needs to know. But it is important that we recognise our own values, actions, progress, and contributions.
Sometimes, when we’re busy, we can get focused on getting through our ‘to do’ list—ticking things off and moving on to the next without pausing to acknowledge what we've just achieved. But without celebration and appreciation, what we have done diminishes and undervalues.
If you feel uncomfortable with this exercise, express it in relation to what you’re grateful for. What are you happy that you’ve done? What benefits have you created for yourself and/or others?
Once you've written things to celebrate, remember to pat yourself on the back and acknowledge your efforts. If you feel comfortable, display your list in a place you often see (creating opportunities to reconnect with those proud moments and add to them with new ones). Perhaps you can do something special and celebratory for yourself to recognise how far you've come. It doesn’t have to be big, just meaningful.
Creating a list of what you’re proud of is a chance to remember and see how far you've come. It also helps you know what you’d like to continue, repeat, learn from, and expand into the future. Reflections on our proudest moments help us feel good about ourselves and inspire us to continue finding ways to feel proud in the coming year.
If you're in the mood for further reflection, you’re welcome to read the Dec 2023 Connect and Grow Magazine issue (available via subscription) and check out my Planning and Reflection Tool resource page: https://innercreative.com.au/planning-resource/
which includes a free Reflection Workbook to download
Written by Natalia Walker
Natalia is available for consultations.
Email: natalia@innercreative.com.au
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(C) Break Free Consultancy 2024
Disclaimer: All information is accurate at the time of publication and subject to change.