Take the Win
When weeks turn into months and you find yourself suddenly almost to your 47th birthday, one can fall into the trap of looking back without feeling, experiencing or really enveloping the successes of the year. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything. 😊
Some context…When I was a little girl, my grandfather teased me about “getting a big head” when I would come home with an all-A report card. That teasing, well-intentioned and light-hearted as it was, imprinted a belief that even when I achieved, I still wasn’t “enough” to be confident. While humility is generally desirable, the “not enough” mindset plus traditional social gender norms left me with a low self-worth that I’m still undoing. Simply put, it’s been hard to “take a win.”
As I look forward, I’m now seeking the WIN. Win, for me, now means more than “winning” to win. I’m embracing a new model of WIN:
Welcoming Achievements: Imagine the power of “welcoming” achievements! I’m going to welcome achievements, not force them but “welcome” them.
Inviting Gratitude: It’s not like “always be grateful” from the Barbie monologue, but deeper, more internal. I’m inviting myself to show myself gratitude.
Noticing Accomplishments: I’m giving myself permission to notice my accomplishments.
And, when I WIN, I’m going to celebrate it.
Why? Celebrating reinforces the behaviors and propels more action, more wins. Recognizing the wins builds my personal self-worth and tells my body (the deep, physical body) that I am trustworthy (I do what I say) and deserving of respect and love.
Some ideas for celebrating wins:
Daily, personal reflection to notice your wins, invite gratitude and welcome future accomplishments.
Ringing a bell. Heard of the Tibetan singing bowls? Sound therapy is now used in healing, recognizing that different frequencies impact the physical cells of the body, release endorphins, and promote alertness or calm (depending on the frequency). Some advisors have bells in their office, and the real estate agents on the Paris-based “L’Agence” hit a gong when they sell a property. It’s a sense-strong recognition option.
Group Slack, Teams or text channel where you celebrate all the wins. Lauren Oschman, CFP, CDFA and CEO of Vestia, a wealth management firm serving specialty physicians, mentioned at the RIA Activate conference that her organization has a Slack channel just for celebrating wins. It’s dinging often with all the little and big things to celebrate.
A Win Jar. Jot down your achievements—big or small—on slips of paper. Then, at the end of each day, week, month or year, take a moment to read through these notes and reflect on how far you've come. This could be a great family activity too!
This week, I hope you’ll look back on these first four months of the year or another time frame – the day, the week? – and really celebrate what you’ve accomplished. Take the win. Take a win. Take any win.
BTW – One thing that we do inside Muriel Network is celebrate wins. If you haven’t joined Muriel Network’s digital community yet, do it! Here’s a link for a complimentary membership. If you and I both go, it will be incredible.
