Acknowledge
We’ve been talking about the 3 A’s of Achieving Your Dream.
In the first blog we talked about Attention, focusing on what your dreams and goals really are.
Last week we talked about Action, starting to DO something that moves you forward toward your dreams and goals.
This week, we’re talking about what comes next…
A #3 – Acknowledgment
This is a hard one for a lot of people. For others it comes a bit more naturally.
I, for one, am in the former group. Acknowledging my own successes conjures the voices that say, “Don’t be seen!” or “It’s not that big a deal, why put up such a fuss?” or even better, “Ugh, all this for something that should just be. After all, you’re intelligent and competent. That should be enough.” You know, those backhanded “compliments”.
The thing is, these statements don’t acknowledge all the WORK that goes into accomplishing something. Things that take hours, days, even years of effort, thought, and struggle. That all gets swept under the rug as, “that’s just what you do”.
But without all that effort, the accomplishment would NEVER HAPPEN!
As an online entrepreneur, what would happen if you didn’t write your blogs or emails?
If you’re an artist, what would happen if you never picked up your paint or pencils?
Yeah, those are things you “just do”, but they take effort. And when you’re first starting out, the effort is greater because you’re building the muscles and habits to make it look effortless.
Acknowledge the Mental Work
The other aspect of acknowledgement is the mental growth you have gone through by pursuing something beyond your normal environment.
We applaud and cheer those that “pick up their bootstraps” and create a life that is better than where they came from. But we only do this AFTER they’ve made it! Why is that?
Have you ever tried to do something to better yourself, only to have the folks around you say, “who do you think you are?” or “someone’s getting too big for their britches.” Or some other derivation of the “you don’t fit into your little box anymore, so I have to cut you down and shove you back in.”
Stretching yourself beyond your comfort zone is HARD WORK!
Being stuck in britches that are too small HURTS.
Realizing and becoming ok with the fact that you need bigger britches, and then going out and getting them can be scary and full of ridicule.
But, man, when you get those bigger britches on…YOU LOOK FABULOUS!
And comfortable. 😉
Acknowledge the journey, the snide remarks, the fear you pushed through. It makes the achievement so much sweeter. It’s not just a thing you did…it’s a BIG DEAL!
How many others do you know have pushed through and made it? Not many. Most people just get up every day, do their daily routine, and go to bed at night.
But not you! YOU DID SOMETHING! Celebrate it!
Plan Your Acknowledgement
One way to ensure that you celebrate your accomplishment, is to recognize when something is complete.
Have an image in your mind (or even better, on paper) that makes the milestone tangible. When:
- 10 emails have been written. DONE
- there is a recognizable face on the canvas. DONE
- you get that first testimonial. DONE
You could break it down even further and have a mini celebration every day!
- “I wrote one email! WHOOP!!”
- “I put on the first coat of paint! WAHOO!”
- “I signed my first client! YIPPEE!”
Even if it’s just a 10-Second Bootie Wiggle, acknowledge and celebrate your wins…big and small.
To help you define what your wins might look like, download the FREE Goal Template and flip to the last pages. You’ll find an easy-to-use method for creating and checking off your milestones and a place to plan your celebration.
You can reach your goals. Just remember:
Keep your eyes on the horizon, your hands on the wheel, and your foot on the GAS!!
Let’s DO THIS!