ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR WINS: A YEAR IN REVIEW

I want to take a minute to recognize all of the things I accomplished last year in hopes that you will go through this process yourself. Our brains naturally focus on the negative, and it’s easier to remember the things that went wrong than the progress we made.

But when we take a moment to focus on how far we’ve come, it feels good. We realize that while progress seemed slow at the time, there was actually so much of it. They say that we overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year. Ain’t that the truth.

Day-to-day parenting can feel like the longest slog -- like you’re stuck in quicksand going nowhere but down. You work on the same things over and over and over again. So do your kids. And you wonder, will this ever get better? But the answer is: YES! And before you know it, you will look back and wonder where the years went.

One mistake I see parents make when they try something new with their kids is they abandon it too quickly. Putting into practice good parenting is like planting a seed. You till the ground, lovingly plant, be sure it gets enough sun, and water, water, water.

And then… nothing. And it’s so tempting to just decide that seed is never going to sprout. But eventually these small changes we make add up, and suddenly you realize your kids have grown. And so have you.

So here are twenty-five things I accomplished this year.

1) I found a life coach who helped me change how I feel and how I parent. She taught me how to think and feel whatever I want. How to love harder. How to be a better person. How to do things that are scary. How to keep going when I’m exhausted. How not to be exhausted. How to create the exact life I want. How to manage my time. And a million other things.

2) I enrolled in and completed the six-month certification program from The Life Coach School. It was excruciating. I had to be vulnerable and face the parts of myself that were rough around the edges. I had to do things that scared me. I had to challenge how I thought and decide who I was.

3) I became a life coach. I began holding space for people’s hopes, dreams, and heartaches. At first, that felt like a huge responsibility.

4) I began a blog. I have always avoided discussing substantive things with anyone other than close friends, but I realized how selfish it would be to keep my experiences to myself. If I could help one person have half the transformation I’ve had, it would all be worth it.

5) I built a web site from scratch all by myself.

6) I learned how to accept online payments, manage web traffic, design a logo, develop a branding sheet, manage an appointment calendar, use Canva and post on Instagram. Wow, that was a lot.

7) I started telling people I was a coach. That took courage. I didn’t know if people would laugh or ridicule. But to my surprise, they reacted with love and curiosity and encouragement. Isn’t that usually the way it is?

8) I built a small coaching practice. Yes, people pay me to coach them. I love the wins my clients have created over the past few months.

a. One business coaching client went from having an old idea for a business that they’d never put into fruition, to over $200,000 in collections in the last six months. They have multiple six-figure contracts already in place for the coming year. Wow!

b. Several weight loss clients have found the tools they needed to drop the weight slowly, the right way, and for good.

c. A marriage on the brink is now stable and happy, and several others are making progress.

d. A number of parents have better relationships with their children, and the children are doing better in school and with their siblings and friends.

Those are my clients’ accomplishments, not mine. My accomplishment was showing up every day to listen and teach.

9) I housetrained a puppy.

10) I strengthened my relationship with my own family members.

11) I supported my mother through losing her husband.

12) I supported my missionary daughter through the ups and downs of her mission in Boston and then Brazil.

13) I kept all my children alive all year long and did my best to be a listening ear for them as they experienced the 50/50 ups and downs of their own lives.

14) I had the hard conversations with my children when they were required. Over and over and over.

15) I made 10 new close friends through my life coach training program. They are some of my favorite people and are a huge example to me of service and perseverance.

16) I learned I can create anything I want in my life. Truly. Anything.

17) A year ago I felt like I couldn’t leave my kids alone for 10 minutes because I wasn’t sure what would happen while I was gone. Today, as I’m writing this, I am on a plane to Salt Lake for my nephew’s wedding. We’ll be gone for two days, and I don’t have any doubt my children will handle it beautifully.

18) I received a new church calling and have been working hard to learn my duties and execute.

19) I threw a party. I haven’t done that in years.

20) I created and refined individual programs for clients seeking change in all different areas of their lives.

21) I read books. Lots of books!

22) There were moments when I showed up as a good friend.

23) I showed up as the best wife I knew how to be.

24) I chose love when I could have chosen hate or anger.

25) I learned to execute an amazing method of time management.

And there were probably dozens of others. Go me! Day to day I looked the same, but over the course of a year, my life has completely changed. I cannot wait to see what the next year brings!

And listen: Yours did too. It’s possible if you’re reading this you don’t see it that way. You may feel like you’re stuck in a cave you’ll never find your way out of -- as I did last year. If that’s you, count your accomplishments. Every day you show up and do your best, you win. Every day you show up and LOSE IT but determine to do better, you grow. Every lagging skill you identify in your child gets you closer to helping them develop it.

Even if it feels like you’re regressing – and that’s exactly how I felt – I promise you’re not. You’re moving forward, learning the things you need to learn. Keep going my friend! I marvel when I think of how far I’ve come this year.

Just think: where could you be 12 months from now?

If you need help navigating how to set the goals and see the changes you seek in the New Year, sign up for a free consultation at www.Susielindberg.com. I’ll create a roadmap just for you.