December 30, 2020
Take Time to Celebrate Yourself Before the Year Ends
It’s that time of year again – the holiday season is in full effect, and in between those precious family moments, thoughts of returning to work and life are starting to creep into your mind. You may be thinking about the next meal you have to cook, that report that is due the first week of January, or how on earth you are going to clean your house once all the festivities are done. On top of all this, you are running through the various things you could pick as your New Year’s resolution.However, what if this year, instead of focusing on what you want to accomplish in 2021, you focus on celebrating and congratulating yourself on all the things you accomplished in 2020. Sometimes in life we are so focused on the next big milestone that we forget to fully enjoy the one we just hit. On top of that, we forget to focus on the small accomplishments too.
It’s that time of year again – the holiday season is in full effect, and in between those precious family moments, thoughts of returning to work and life are starting to creep into your mind. You may be thinking about the next meal you have to cook, that report that is due the first week of January, or how on earth you are going to clean your house once all the festivities are done. On top of all this, you are running through the various things you could pick as your New Year’s resolution.However, what if this year, instead of focusing on what you want to accomplish in 2021, you focus on celebrating and congratulating yourself on all the things you accomplished in 2020. Sometimes in life we are so focused on the next big milestone that we forget to fully enjoy the one we just hit. On top of that, we forget to focus on the small accomplishments too.
Take Time to Celebrate the Obvious, and More Importantly, the Invisible Accomplishments
If someone were to ask you to write down your accomplishments for the year, you would probably struggle to list off more than a few – most of which would be things like “got a promotion”, “gave birth to my third child”, or “bought my first house”…. Or maybe you would have nothing to write down at all because, you know, “2020 sucks.” Regardless of which camp you sit in, it’s time to celebrate the often forgotten, invisible, accomplishments. The ones that no one really sees and we often forget to acknowledge.
Now, you are probably wondering what an “invisible accomplishment” is. Think of it as personal growth – those small, usually not apparent until we reflect on how we used to be 5 years ago, types of changes. We often forget to acknowledge them and pay ourselves the celebration we deserve for modifying our behaviour, internal dialogue, or obsessive thoughts. These invisible accomplishments are what spark the major accomplishments, but more importantly, are the ones that truly define who we are as individuals.
Sit Down and Take the Time to Reflect
It can be fairly challenging to come up with a list, off the top of your head, of ways you have personally developed. So, why not find some time over the next few days to sit down in peace and quiet, and start writing?
If you have a hard time getting started, here are a few writing prompts you can use. Pick one or two that work for you, and go with it – let your thoughts flow:
- What are 3 ways I went out of my comfort zone this year? How did I feel after these experiences?
- Who is my biggest inspiration and why? How has this person impacted me?
- What was my favourite day in 2020 and why?
- What are 5 words I would use to describe myself and how did I exemplify those words at various times this past year?
- What are 3 ways I gave myself love this past year? How can I continue this in 2021?
- If I could give “December 2019 me” some advice, what would it be and why?
By starting with one of these writing prompts, and just going with it, you will find that you start to spiral into a pool of self love and discovery. You will begin to notice the ways you have personally grown and positively changed over the last year.
For example, at some point in the year you may have quit your job to start up your own venture – this would be an example of going out of your comfort zone. From this experience, you learned that you are smarter and stronger than you thought you were. You have improved your self-worth and come to terms with the fact that you are awesome – this sounds like a pretty rad accomplishment!
While for some it may be difficult to get started, just trust the process and that regardless of how this past year went, you have experienced self growth and at least one invisible accomplishment. This exercise will not only help you begin to shape your 2021 self, but it will also allow you to appreciate the person you have become throughout 2020.
Thank you to everyone for your continued support and Happy New Year from the SydFIT Team!
We are here for you as we enter 2021! Reach out to us at [email protected] and let’s work together to make this year your best year!
