Life's everyday expectations and demands can sometimes make you wanna holler like Marvin Gaye. Up early, running during the day, and late to bed with little time to do anything remotely resembling self-care, personal or professional development. And through all of what we do, we rarely allow ourselves to sit, reflect and give ourselves praise to appreciate what we have accomplished. Despite what it looks like, you are doing it, girl! You have done things that deserve personal recognition. Achievements can be small and grand. You didn't buy the house yet, but you successfully executed a no-spend month that allowed you to save toward the goal. You didn't get the job you applied for, but you stepped out of your comfort zone, asked the hiring manager why you weren't offered the position and learned what you could do to improve for the next opportunity.
Let's normalize appreciating ourselves. We know how to appreciate others. We give gifts and compliments, attend celebratory events, and send a note of thanks. My question for you is, how do you show yourself appreciation? With your hectic schedule dictating your day, it's not realistic to necessarily appreciate yourself daily, at least initially (because we do want to make this a regular habit). But it is a practice you should engage in weekly to encourage yourself for the new day or week ahead. We are so accustomed to not appreciating ourselves we scarcely know what it looks like to do it. There is so much goodness, shoot greatness inside of you already that you should appreciate and let shine. There is very little externally that you need today to make the next best step toward the personal and professional goals you have for yourself. Following are three tips on ways you can implement self-appreciation and a download to help you engage in appreciating yourself every day.
Positive Self-Talk For The Win
Affirmations were never my thing. I thought they were hollow words that one said and went about their day. Yes, they are words, but they are far from hollow. When you commit to the process of not only saying them but living them out, they make a difference. Sometimes we spend excessive time seeking outside affirmation, which can leave us exhausted and defeated. The thing is, no one knows you better than you so who better to give the positive feedback and support we all seek? Affirmations can be said for any and every emotion or feeling you experience. Click here for six affirmations I've read over the last few years that have motivated me.
Accept Who You Are Unapologetically
We all have great things that make us who we are, and those things embarrass us that we shield not only from others but bury from ourselves. As you aim to become the best version of yourself every day (because no one is perfect), the only way to get better is to accept the person you are burying. Stop bringing up old things into your right now. Doing so slows forward movement. You're not the same person you were when that old thing happened, either. So many factors play into outcomes, and the great thing about life is that it can change if we let it. Accept the person you are today, realizing that is who will take you to your next level.
Value Your Time
Twenty-four hours each day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We all have the same amount of time, and we can't go back in time or fast forward. With that said, value your time by not spending it with people, places, and things that drain you. As the great poem "Invictus" says, you are the master of your fate and the captain of your soul. A friend and I used to say, "only you can hurt your feelings," which speaks to times when we allow ourselves to be affected by the actions of others in a negative way. You'll be well on your way by valuing your time and using it for activities that elevate you and internalizing that no is a complete sentence.
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