Giving yourself credit for what you have achieved is a key stretch in the motivation loop. If you set out to do something new but don't acknowledge all the steps you take along the way, then you will not get those dopamine boosts (wahoo!) that you are deserving and earning with your accomplishment. Even worse, you may not feel as good about what you are doing, and those inevitable frustrations that come to everyone in work, home, work from home, personal life, etc. will loom larger than they need to. Just say no.
I could have titled this blogpost "The Other Side of the Mountain," because that is how it often feels when you try new things, or try to do the old things better, or just simply try to persevere with the same things (thanks but no thanks, Covid). With weight loss, for example, it is almost always like this. It can feel like pushing a rock up a mountain only to have to turn around and do it all over the next day.
Friend, that is why celebrating the small wins along the way is even more important. As women, we often minimize the actions we take, and we minimize the hard work it took to step up. This is one of the female species' greatest assets, i.e. endurance. However, NO MORE endurance without celebration. It is not helpful, and in fact it is hurtful to our daily mindset, and potentially our ultimate goals.
This week, consider not only getting your week off on the right footing (Monday motivation) but also ending your week on a Friday celebration. I have gone back to the old fashioned planner, and I am writing my goals for the day, checking them off as I go, valuing the time I spend at my desk, and then I am giving myself credit for all that I have done with a Friday celebration. It is making a difference for me in how I value my work, my time and my life. I hope you try it too and tell me how it is going!