Reflecting on Your Progress: The Key to Building Confidence
Reflecting on your progress and focusing on your wins will build your confidence. You’ve come a long way baby, and it shows! The thing is, most humans tend to sweep their accomplishments under the rug and not really acknowledge them. This does a number on one’s psyche.
The Power of Looking Back
When you don’t acknowledge all the progress you’ve made, you don’t remember just how much you’ve gotten done.
Every month I sit down with my clients and review all that they accomplished in the last 30 days. And every month, my clients are surprised at just how much they did. Then, when the quarter comes along, we look at the last 3 months…and STILL they are amazed at how much they’ve accomplished. Don’t even get me started on when we reflect back on the year. 😉
Why We Forget Our Own Growth
The thing is, we get so focused on what we’re doing or have to get done that we forget all the cool stuff that got us to this point in time. It’s like when you go from elementary school to Jr. High/Middle school and you look back at 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade thinking, “Oh, that was just easy stuff…anyone could do that!”
But if you really go back to Kindergarten or 1st grade, that stuff was HARD! Learning how to hold a pencil? C’MON! Try picking up something you’ve never done before that requires that level of dexterity! (E.g., knitting, crocheting, tatting, chopsticks) 😉 You’ll remember just how hard it was. (And you’re an adult now…you were just a kid then!)
In one of my favorite movies, Excalibur (1981), Merlin says, “For it is the doom of men that they forget.” And it’s true, we forget all kinds of things…which is why reflecting back is so important. Acknowledging and remembering everything you went through to accomplish all that you’ve accomplished. It’s pretty amazing stuff.
Confidence Comes from Recognizing Your Progress
Remembering all the emotions that got in the way, all the roadblocks that appeared, all the effort in showing up and doing the work that you did, it’s HUGE! When you can really look back and say, “YES! I DID that!” and give yourself a pat on the back for it, THAT’S when confidence builds!
When you can be proud of yourself for all the hard work, you can move forward knowing that you’ll get through the next bout of emotions and the next roadblock won’t look so big. The work will get easier…just like writing with a pen, pencil, or crayon…it becomes something you don’t even think about.
When you reflect on your wins, BIG or small, you remind yourself of just how capable you are. You accomplish more than you realize, but if you don’t track it, reflect on it, and celebrate it, it’s easy to forget just how far you’ve come. That’s why I created the Accomplishment Record template.
This simple tool is designed to help you capture your wins, recognize patterns, and reinforce your confidence. It’s the perfect tool to help you document, celebrate, and plan your next steps with clarity. Download it today and start recognizing all that you do while building the habit of celebrating your success!