Write Your Accomplishments
Several years ago, I began a practice of writing my accomplishments at the end of the year. Actually, you can do this at any time. I borrowed the idea from the corporate world. In most companies, managers are required to submit a list of their accomplishments and objectives annually. This information is used as the basis for performance reviews, raises, and promotions.
I thought, "Hey, if it works for them, maybe it will help me." The sense of personal satisfaction and encouragement I received after doing this once was so great that it has become a regular practice and something I look forward to doing at the start of each new year.
We take so much of what we do for granted, or just shrug it off, saying, "It*s no big deal." We point to the successes, contributions, and accomplishments of others while overlooking all that we ourselves have done.
Only after taking the time to list our own accomplishments and activities do we see that we, too, are making a difference. We realize how much we have actually done in our lives, and this serves to encourage and motivate us to even greater heights.
In your journal, make a list of what you have done in the past year. Include everything you can think of. Where have you vacationed? What plays, movies, or concerts have you seen or attended? What books have you read? What have you done for and with your family? What have you accomplished in your business? What about personal goals? What have you done for yourself? What about your health? Have you lost weight, began exercising, or played a sport? Did you start a business, write a book, or give a speech?
Write down everything you can think of, he more, the better. Seeing all you have done will raise your self-esteem and increase the likelihood that you will accomplish even more next year. You have probably done much more than you realize, and writing it down will enable you to see just how much you have accomplished.
Jim's Jems Newsletter is copyright 1991-2004 by Jim Donovan. All rights reserved.
