I spent last week in San Francisco with my coach and my entrepreneurial buddies. For an entire day, my friends were commenting on my Taylor Swift concert t-shirt. You'll see in a moment how my outfit has anything to do with you (beyond the fact that I was rocking that shirt – remember the Own It newsletter? Check it out here).
I love Taylor Swift thanks to my 12-year-old daughter who got concert tickets for Christmas. I'm wearing Tay-Tay because it is a reminder of one of the best things that happened for me this year (alongside my awesome clients). The concert was fantastic - the tiny paper airplanes, the runway, the dancers. What made the concert sublime was anticipating with my girl for a year and holding her hand in the crowd while I answered question after question about the scene. If I could have moved into that moment for the rest of my life, I would have.
This made me think of you because I see people blowing through their lives without pausing to celebrate and give themselves credit for the amazing things that happened in the year. Instead, we beat ourselves up.
Are you someone who is hard on yourself? It’s easy focus on where you’ve failed, what you could have done better or improved, what you wish had gone differently.
It’s hard to take credit for and celebrate the things you rocked. We make up stories like:
- “I’ll sound egotistical.”
- “It’s vain.”
- “Those things weren’t that important anyway.”
As my father-in-law says with his Texas drawl, “That’s buuuulll-sheet.” It’s time to give yourself all kinds of a crazy credit. Starting now.
Here’s what you do:
Take a piece of paper and write down all your accomplishments, successes, breakthroughs, celebrations and wins. Use your calendar, journals and notes to remember what you did in 2015.
- Did your kids make it to most of their swimming lessons? Write it down!
- Did you build relationships with people in your new (or old) job? Write it down!
- Did you say no? Write it down!
- Did you totally rock your hair this year? Write it down!
- Did you change jobs, win an award, host an event? Write it down!
- Did you let go of what people think of you? Write it down!
When you see all your accomplishments and wins in one place, you’ll realize what a rock star you were this year. It’s exhilarating and humbling.
My gift to you this Christmas is your own magnificence! Open it now. You get to enjoy it forever!
Merry Christmas!
Christina