Why celebrating you and your progress is so important.
I would say I am mostly an optimist …….but even though I tend to see the sunny side of life, I can discourage myself by thinking, I ‘should’ be so much further on than I am.
Do you ever feel similar?
What does your natural self-discourager sound like?
Maybe your natural ‘self-discourager’ inside of you has a different script? I can’t do that? I could never do that. I could never afford that. I am not clever enough for that. I am too old for that. I could have done better.
We are most of the time unaware of this unhelpful kind of self-talk. (An awareness and strategy to deal with this being one of the many benefits that coaching gives)
Renewing our Mind, Moving from Condemnation to Celebration
Learning to adopt an attitude towards ourselves of celebration instead of condemnation banishes these unhelpful scripts. It’s an important form of self-care and self-love, which is easy to adopt and gives you instant results.
The Bible puts it very well:
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing, and perfect will. Romans 12:2
Learning coaching is one form of renewing our minds. Over the years I have learned to become my own champion, and coach, by thinking on what has been achieved and celebrating this, however small and however insignificant. I have also taken many clients through this process.
Celebrating each amount of progress, even each day, shifts our perspective in incredibly positive and useful ways! It takes us away from self-condemnation and negative thinking. It increases motivation, helps us to focus, gives us confidence, increases our happiness and thankfulness.
So here is the 5 day – Self Love Celebration Challenge.
Try doing this for just 5 days and I guarantee it will increase your joy, your motivation, and your productivity! It will change your thinking and perspective on yourself.
The 5 day – Self Love Celebration Challenge
DAY 1 – Celebrate Today
At the end of your day, take 15 minutes to think on your day.
What 5 small things have you achieved today that you are happy with? This could be, as small as I got up and made it to work on time! I called my friend after a long time. I chose a healthier lunch than normal.
DAY 2 – Celebrate the Past Week
Take 15 minutes to think on your whole week (the 7 days before today). What are you winning at? What has progressed that you have been hoping would? What has progressed that you didn’t expect? You can look at tasks, attitudes, relationships and anything else that comes to mind. Write these things down.
DAY 3 – Celebrate Winning Trends
Take 15 minutes to look at yesterday’s celebration. In what of those things can you see there has been a positive trend of progress over some time? Look over the past months or year? Where can you see consistent growth and positive progress over some months or longer? This is amazing! What does this show you about you and how well you are succeeding in your life?
DAY 4 – Celebrate Push Throughs
Take 15 minutes and think on what you have done even though you have not felt like it. You may have felt unmotivated, or fearful, or tired, but you pushed through and did these things anyway. Pushing through to do the things we have to, and the things that fulfil our values and what we consider important, even when it’s difficult, it definitely worth celebrating. Wow! Amazing. Pushing through could look like something you resisted doing in retaliation, or something you did even though it was physically hard or mentally hard. It could be something you did even though you had very little motivation, but you know it was a good thing. Every single push through is worth celebrating.
DAY 5 – Celebrate Progress Towards Big Goals
Ask yourself; In what ways are my achievements taking me closer towards my life and work goals, my dreams, my bigger vision? If your achievements are taking you closer to these things, however small they are worth celebrating! You can say; ‘I am on my way towards success!’
Tune into all of Heaven Cheering You On!
This challenge helps you move away from feeling disappointed that you have not got there as quick as you had hoped, or the way you wanted.
Celebrating the progress however small, gives us confidence and shifts our perspective, it opens up our thinking, and our creativity. It helps us to keep going towards those big goals that take time.
If we don’t celebrate every step, even small ones, we easily end up listening to our ‘self-discourager’, or ‘self- saboteur’ as some call it. (That voice that doesn’t help but holds us back and makes us miserable). Celebrating you and what you are doing will silence it!
We can do the same when we meditate on what God is doing. Celebrate and be thankful for what He is doing rather than spending time thinking on what He is not doing. This shifts perspective and pleases God.
Sometimes the smallest steps we take are the ones that mean the most and should be celebrated wholeheartedly. Many times, the smallest progress we make privately, when no one is around to know, or witness, can feel the hardest. But we know that God sees us, He knows what courage, what confidence, what perseverance we have needed to take these small steps. He sees us consistently keep going towards our big goals. He sees and He says a big – “well done!”. Imagine all of heaven cheering you on.
Don’t give up, don’t condemn yourself that you are not doing well. Recognise how you are doing, where you have consistently moved forward and celebrate that. This will champion you on to keep going.
And we all know that many small steps, add up to BIG achievements and EXTRAORDINARY success!