The old adage “Success is a journey, not a destination” holds a lot of truth that often goes unnoticed in our busy lives. It’s far too easy to overlook our achievements each day because we’ve set the bar too high for success. So, instead of acknowledging our daily successes, we label many of them as mere “responsibilities.” This leads us to miss out on the chance to celebrate these daily achievements.
Below, we’re diving into:
- Why we often fail to recognize our successes
- The importance of changing our perspective
- A practical step to build self-confidence by acknowledging our achievements
Setting the Bar for Success
One of the main reasons we miss out on celebrating our successes is that we set the bar for ourselves. When we think of the words “success” or “achievement,” we don’t think of small tasks and projects. Instead, we think of major accomplishments and goals. So, even when we have small daily successes, we overlook them.
We think of these small achievements as nothing more than the tasks we’re responsible for doing. They include things like returning phone calls to customers, helping an employee when they get stuck, submitting a bid on time to a prospect, and keeping the bills paid.
These are tasks we excel at every day, but we fail to celebrate getting them down because we’ve conditioned ourselves to perceive them as everyday duties.
You may also be interested in reading Unlocking Success: Cultivating A Growth Mindset as a Business Leader
Taking Achievements for Granted
When we think that everyone is doing those same tasks as us, we diminish the value of those actions and set the bar of “success” at a higher level. Then, we constantly move the bar up as we achieve more, which leads us to feel inadequate because we never allow ourselves to make it over the bar.
What if we were to remove the bar altogether?
What if we started viewing every task we accomplish as a success worth celebrating?
Changing Your Focus
Part of the reason we struggle to recognize our successes is we tend to focus on the wrong things.
We allow our feelings and attitudes to lead us astray. So, instead of celebrating our everyday successes, we wake up feeling like a failure or end the work day feeling like we accomplished nothing. These feelings negatively impact our self-confidence. It’s essential to realize that our feelings and attitudes don’t always match reality.
Separating Feelings from Actions
To overcome this, we must separate our feelings and attitudes from our behavior and actions. We don’t always have control over what we feel, but we can always control how we choose to think and behave.
By committing to act based on knowledge and intentional decisions instead of mere feelings, we can begin to align our emotions and attitudes with our actions. In essence, we can “fake it ’til we make it” by training ourselves to act and think like confident individuals, even when our feelings say otherwise.
Put It Into Action
Now that we understand the need for change, let’s begin with one simple step that can help you grow into a more confident leader. You can begin to build self-confidence in just five minutes a day.
Document Your Successes
Documenting your daily successes is a positive habit you can easily complete daily. All you need to do is write down three successes you had during the day. The goal is to develop the habit of recognizing your successes for what they truly are.
As you start to acknowledge big and small achievements in your daily life, your confidence will grow, and you’ll begin realizing the extent of your capabilities.
It’s essential to document your successes by writing them down or tracking them somewhere. Don’t just think about them. They need to be written down so you can revisit them later. You can use a journal, notebook, or apps like the Spearity app or Evernote.
The key is taking time to record at least three successes at the end of each day.
What If You Can’t See Your Successes?
If you’ve been trapped in a cycle of negative thinking, it may be challenging for you to spot the daily successes in your life. If you’re struggling, consider asking a loved one to help you get started. Often, it’s easier for us to recognize the success of others than to see it in ourselves.
Remember, we often overlook our own successes each day because we’ve set the bar too high. Ask yourself the following questions if you’re feeling stuck:
- What task did I cross off my list today?
- What conversations did I have with others today?
- Did you complete one step in a large project?
- Where did you make progress today, even if you didn’t complete the task?
- How did you positively impact someone around you?
To build self-confidence, we must shift our perspective and separate our feelings from our actions. By taking small steps, like documenting daily successes, you’ll begin to recognize your achievements easier.
It’s time to stop overlooking your successes and start embracing them as stepping stones on your path to personal and professional growth.
Ready to transform your perspective and unlock your true potential? Consider working with a business coach to guide you on your journey of continuous improvement. Don’t let your achievements go unnoticed any longer—take the first step towards a brighter future.
Contact us today to learn more about how business coaching can help you embrace success, build confidence, and achieve your goals.
