What if?
In my free time, I do everything I can to learn new skills, network, and add value to every situation I encounter. Candidly, this sometimes leaves me feeling like I’m not scratching the surface. After stopping to reflect for a moment, I realized that I fall into the category of individuals who do hard things and don’t stop to recognize my accomplishments. I quickly accept that I have done something good and move to the next thing. What if I paused to stop and truly acknowledge what I have accomplished?
Am the #1 fan at my son’s soccer, baseball, and music events
Mentor young women
Support a growing non-profit
Started my own business
Help professionals in the midst of a career pivot (note: this exercise is something I do with my clients)
Create value for a professional services firm supporting multiple countries around the world
Actively participate in a network of professionals with a focus on Emotional Intelligence
Earned my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
Earned my Executive Leadership Coaching certification
Participate in Pilates 2-3 times/week. I’ve been attending classes every week since August.
Completed Ironman Wisconsin
Completed the Milwaukee Marathon
Completed multiple half marathons and triathlons
Backpacked a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail with a group of 10 incredibly inspiring women
Graduated with my MBA from the University of Illinois while working full-time
Went back to school to finish my undergraduate degree at DePaul University while working full-time
Bounced back from brain surgery two weeks after giving birth to my son - Fast forward almost 13 years, and I’m going strong!
I’ve noted these accomplishments and am proud to say I’m pretty darned happy I took the time to sit down and remember these things. The most important item is at the top of the list, and it is more about my son’s accomplishments than mine. What if, when we did hard things, we slowed down for a few minutes and recognized how much we’ve actually accomplished?
When is the last time you sat down and actually documented your accomplishments?
Backpacking day on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)