You’ll Be Proud of This Bank Account

Imagine a year from today you open a jar with 365 things you were proud of yourself for. What an amazing gift to yourself that would be!

Here’s how you do it. Every evening on a little piece of paper you write down just one thing, big or small, that you’re proud of yourself for today. It will most likely take you less than a few minutes to do. To begin to make it a habit, write your note at the same time every night. Maybe it’s right after dinner or before bed. You may want to put out a reminder so you don’t forget.

Here are some examples:

• Maybe when you got to work you realized that you forgot your healthy lunch at home and instead of opting for a greasy, salty meal, or something quick out of the vending machine at work, you went and bought a healthy lunch instead.
• Maybe you decided to wear that cute top that’s been hanging in your closet that you were too self-conscious to wear a few months ago.
• Maybe you went to lunch with your co-workers at a Mexican restaurant and when the waitress brought the chips and salsa before your meal, you only had a few tortilla chips, instead of your usual several handfuls.
• Maybe you pushed yourself a little harder than usual during your workout.
• Maybe you turned the TV off and took out your journal and did some writing and self-discovery.
• Maybe you found a new healthy recipe you’d like to try.

I want to note that these accomplishments don’t necessarily have to be in the area of fitness or nutrition. Begin to think about health as more than just diet and exercise. I believe in overall wellness and that includes coaching women in areas such as fulfilling relationships, less stress, and more energy. These areas of wellness contribute to your overall health, and when everything is in good order, you feel invincible!

Accordingly, when you write your nightly accomplishment, think about what you’re proud of in those areas as well.

Here are a few examples of this:

• Maybe you reached out to a good friend you lost touch with recently.
• Maybe you took a 10-minute break during a hard day at work to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.
• Or maybe you went to bed a half an hour earlier than usual in order to wake up more refreshed.

Here’s a helpful tip to get you started off strong: Determine in the beginning of the day what you will write down as an accomplishment that night. For example, maybe you decide that you will schedule yourself a massage today, or that tonight you’ll start reading that book that’s collecting dust on the shelf, or that you will forego that daily afternoon sweet treat and replace it with a healthy snack instead. When we plan ahead of time to do something or not do something, we are more likely to stick to our plan and feel great about ourselves at the end of the day.

Will you commit today to start writing down just one thing, big or small, that you are proud of yourself for doing (or not doing) each night and putting it in a jar and watching your “daily accomplishment bank account” fill up for just the next few days? If all goes well, try to keep it going until it becomes a habit. You can do this!