Focus on Your Progress

A few weeks ago, I realized that I was feeling pretty crappy. I’d started to think about all of the things I set out to do in 2020 that weren’t happening the way I’d planned. There were conferences, meetings, presentations, and speaking engagements that I’d lined up, and though some went virtual - many ended up being canceled. I noticed that I had several weeks of sitting at my desk and noticing everything that didn’t happen for me.

After taking some time to journal my thoughts, I decided to flip things around. Instead of highlighting everything that didn’t go as planned, I reflected on all of the things that went really well. I remembered extra time I had to rest in the spring, or the therapy sessions that I prioritized. I also thought about the few extra moments I had to catch up on projects around the house.

When was the last time you paused to reflect on all of your progress?

As someone who’s naturally driven, I know how easy it is to get stuck in a space of criticizing yourself. As leaders, we often have big goals to reach. While this requires us to be thoughtful, I want to remind you to ease up on yourself a little. We could all be a little less critical.

This week, take some time and think of what went well for you this year. If you’re stuck, try answering these questions:

• Did you connect with anyone you’d lost contact with?

• Did you take any steps towards bettering your mental and/or emotional health?

• Did you complete any projects?

• Did you get much needed rest?

• Did you say kind things to yourself?

• Did you encourage someone who needed it?

All of these are things we should be proud of. When you’re stuck in a cycle of criticizing yourself, remember that all progress counts!