What have you accomplished?
This question surfaced on Twitter today:
there’s only ONE MONTH left in the decade. what have you accomplished?
— ˗ˏˋ tony ˎˊ˗ (@stfutony) November 11, 2019
Some people are like “I published a book”, “I became a pro athlete”, “I learned how to speak a different language”. And other people are like dude I did nothing so don’t make me feel bad about myself.
A decade is a long time. I would be 16 years old a decade ago. It’s difficult to not be able to come up with a single accomplishment in 10 years.
And if you really can’t, I think the reason is because you are too hard on yourself. Maybe you think graduating high school or university is a given and that it’s not an accomplishment, but for some people, it really is. Maybe you think learning how to cook or getting a job you enjoy is standard – again, for some people it isn’t.
I think a lot of us think of big magnificent and glorious things when we hear the word “accomplishment”, but sometimes the little wins in life can be just as important.
Maybe you moved to a new city or you’ve always been very shy or anxious around strangers. Making some good friends can be an accomplishment.
Maybe you’ve been struggling emotionally for a long time. Just surviving can be an accomplishment.
We base our life’s milestones on big events – getting married, moving out, having children, etc. But accomplishments don’t need to be grand and it doesn’t even need to involve other people. It can be a journey of self-discovery. It can be something small that fits right into an important spot of your memory.
I think we need to celebrate more successes in life. Why not give yourself a pat on your back for cleaning your room or editing your first video? Why don’t you celebrate moments where someone has complimented you or times when you’ve helped someone else?
As a normal person, I think we all do good things and learn new things every day, but we don’t always let ourselves feel good about them. There will always be people out there who are saving the world, fighting climate change and creating inventions that make society better. These are all great accomplishments, but don’t let these things undermine your own accomplishments.
Every person’s life is different and if you start recognizing and celebrating your successes – no matter how big or small – I can guarantee you that you will find more joy and self-love in your life. You will find the person who was always there inside you – a person you can really be proud of.