Acknowledge Your Past Achievements

     
It is now the beginning of a new year. Many people view the beginning of a new year as a time to reflect upon what they have done during the past year and/or to set some new goals.

I have typically not viewed the new year in this manner because I have tended to view myself as a "work in progress" be it personally or professionally. Therefore, I would periodically evaluate myself vs. various benchmarks irrespective of the time of year. In addition, I would have no trouble in finding additional goals to aspire to or areas to improve upon throughout the year.

However, now that I am thinking about it, there may be some inherent benefits to sitting down and taking the time to review the events that have occurred in my life in the past year(s). We all take the time to comment (or complain) about the difficult things going on in our lives. Taking stock at the beginning of a new year gives you the opportunity to recognize the good things going on in your life.

For example, I am currently transitioning into a new career. This past year, I explored alternatives and began the process of obtaining my Masters in Social Work degree. While my husband started his engineering firm only a couple of years ago, he has been most supportive of my new endeavors. Our children have each been blooming and developing in their own respective ways. While we, as a family, have gone through quite a lot, we have also stood by each other and become closer to one another. We are also blessed to have a couple of close friends who have stood by us through thick and thin. I have a tremendous amount to be grateful for.

I am also most appreciative of twitter and the followers who read my tweets and/or blog. I have much to learn from you all.

So often we get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we forget to stop and see the beauty around us... Taking the time to reflect on the past provides you with an opportunity to acknowledge what you have and what you have achieved before setting new objectives to work on.

Do you remember to give yourself a pat on the back before setting up your new "to do" list? Please feel free to share your thoughts.

Photo Credit: Mckay Savage