Give Yourself Some Credit

How would you rate yourself on your follow-thru? Do you start great ideas and projects only to find yourself throwing in the towel way too soon? Do you have great intentions but disappoint yourself when you don't bring them to life? Have you ever noticed something out in the world and thought to yourself, -Hey, I had that idea ages ago?!

If you answered "Yes!" to any of these questions, than you and I definitely have something in common. I used to beat myself up for letting great ideas come and pass. My inner critic would gladly share reminders such as:

"You never finish what you start!"

"Someone else will do this job a hell of a lot better than you!"

"You are once again biting off way more than you can chew here!"

or... "Don't even think about it! You are not qualified!"

Does any of this self-defeating talk sound familiar to you? If it does, that is because we all experience it. No one is exempt. We humans are all custom built with an ego. One that enjoys taking over our thoughts and attempts to redirect them into a downhill spiral. We can't really blame our ego however, as it's literally doing its job. Keeping us safe from the disappointment of new adventures or seasons in our life. Our ego doesn't want us to try new things or invest time in the unfamiliar. It has a fear that we might fail. Or perhaps it fears we might actually like and approve of the outcome.

The good news is, we can shut our ego (also known as the inner critic) off any time we so choose. A challenging task, no doubt. But if you're willing to do the work in catching this thought-thief... you can and will do bigger and better things in life.

Let's talk for a minute about your persistence. Persistence can be defined as "A strong will to keep going in spite of obstacles." My inner critic mean girl tries to convince me that I don't have an ounce of it. But contrary to her belief, I have tons of evidence to prove her wrong!

Turns out, I wasn't giving myself enough credit. And it wasn't until I was prompted to do an activity in one of my coaching courses that I realized persistence is actually one of my top personality traits. (It could be one of yours, too!)

In this simple activity, I was asked to write a letter to myself from my own "persistence." It went something like this: "Dear Jill, I am your persistence and here is all I have done for you..." I than began to to finish the writing prompt.

• I helped you survive and overcome a chaotic childhood.

• I stuck with you as you put yourself through college earning two degrees.

• I helped you raise your children while working full time and attaining your master's at night.

• I helped you persevere and thrive through a cancer diagnosis and brutal reconstruction period.

• I helped you quit drinking and give up dependency on alcohol.

• I guided and prompted you while writing your personal memoir to share with the world.

I realized, after writing it out, that I had only scratched the surface. There are countless other triumphs I could list here. But instead, I challenge you to do the same!

Go ahead. Grab a piece of paper and write a letter from your persistence! See how many awesome, challenging hurdles you have kicked ass to accomplish or overcome throughout your life. And don't forget the small ones! They are responsible for building your grit and determination as well.

When you are feeling defeated or weak or incapable of finishing something you know you want badly, come back to the list and remind yourself of the bad-ass you truly are!

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*Special thanks (& credit) to my Happiness Coach, Kim Strobel, for guiding me to deepen my appreciation of myself. ❣