Looking Back, Moving Forward
Advice that I’ve rarely, if ever, come across while working toward achieving big goals is the necessity of reviewing one’s previous accomplishments. While it may be true that “she who rests on her laurels is wearing them in the wrong place,” there’s nothing quite like taking stock of what you’ve already achieved in order to boost your confidence, sense of self-worth and appreciation for what you’ve already learned - your personal contributions to the oceanic wealth of human experience. Even recalling small accomplishments goes a long in preparing you to move forward successfully.
Having a thoughtfully-assembled list of previous accomplishments gives you an opportunity to look at, not just your successes, but also those pieces that “didn’t work as well as you would have liked.” It’s a practical way to learn from your experiences, a real advantage in mapping the course of your next big (ad)venture.
- ·Take some time to assemble your list. Not everything may occur to you right away, so give yourself a few days at least and write your recollections down. Carry your list with you, if possible, so that you can add to it as memories occur.
- ·Recall the emotions you felt at the time. Keeping the “feeling” of success active helps boost your faith in yourself and your creativity so that you can more easily accomplish your new goals. As a species, we tend to move toward what feels good.
- Resist the urge to “judge” those parts which didn’t work as well as you wanted.You probably didn’t get straight As in school all the time, in every subject, but you did learn things anyway. Take “the good” and shine with it, remembering that rain helps things grow.
- ·Success isn’t always about money, a mistaken judgement our culture tends to make over and over again (well, it’s a learning curve…) Learn to use different criteria to assess “success.” Did you feel good about the outcome(s)? Did others benefit? Did it have a lasting effect? Or change the course of things for the better? Taking money out of the equation can radically shift your understanding and appreciation of your past accomplishments and put you in touch with more of your own inner resources.
Make a habit of reviewing your successes. These memories pave the way for your future achievements and help you lay a good foundation, pointing you to areas where you may need more education. Congratulations and good luck!
Recent Comments
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I find making few smaller goals for each period and make it harder as increase goals helps me. Usually I do all or all but the hardest which I usually add knowing I probably will not reach it. People always tell me they think it take few people do what I do every month. And I rarely apply myself 100% but I find I work better this way as when tried doing more I got burned out.
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Jessica,
We often do not reflect enough on the positive aspect of our actions and the way we carry out our life. This may be due to the fact that many dwell on the present day issues at hand and just try to get through tough times as they come. I feel that I may be able to learn a great deal from your experiences. Thank you for the positive post! History provides us with lessons for our future actions.
Best wishes on your success! I look forward to seeing your website.
Paula
Thanks, Paula:
I have worked on the premises that "she who is resting on her laurels is wearing them in the wrong place" and "good, better, best; never let it rest, until you've made your good better, and your better best" since I was a pre-teen and teenager! It has take me a long time to be able to look back on my past accomplishments in appreciation.