As I write this, we’re edging up on the shortest day of the year in the UK, which happens to fall on my Birthday. When I was little I used to feel cheated, thinking that it meant I literally had less time.

My little self was very keen on the idea of Birthdays and celebrating. It wasn’t the presents. It was some kind of pride in being a year older! Plus cake. 

I think pride is a funny thing. And so is celebrating ourselves. I see it get squashed out of adults altogether, who don’t want to come off as boasting, or arrogant.

But it tips so far, that there is almost no acknowledgement of what we’ve done well, what progress we have made, or how we have grown and improved.

So this is what I want you to do….

Pause for a moment. Take a lovely, deep breath.

And then pick one thing from this year that you want to celebrate about yourself. How about three things? Ten?

I have been helping all of my speaker clients go back through this year, and acknowledge their achievements. Of all shapes and sizes.

I have been doing the same myself.

And what I would love you to watch out for are any of the following….

MINIMIZING

UNDERCUTTING

UNDERPLAYING

COMPARING

DISMISSING

DEVALUING

I see these ALL of the time with my clients.

“I did that talk online at x, BUT it was only because my colleague put me forward.”

“I used slides for the first time BUT I used a designer, and didn’t do them myself.”

“I gave 3 talks BUT I should have done more.”

My own particular flavour of this is setting big goals, and struggling to acknowledge the merits of the steps along the way.

“I did X, but I’ve still got Y to do.”

I promise it feels way better to cheer ourselves along the way, not just when we reach some arbitrary finish line.

But oof, it can be a challenge!

I dare you to do it. Celebrate yourself, without the BUTS. And not just once a year!