Why Working Moms Need To Track Accomplishments
Are you familiar with that feeling of doing so much yet feeling like you haven’t accomplished anything? Duh, of course you do you’re a working mom.
Sometimes it can seem like you give give give and have nothing to show for it at the end of the day. Okay, so first let me tell you that’s never the case.
You know the typical scene when you start to feel that way. You get down on yourself and of course guilt starts rearing it’s ugly head.
That’s a thought process that hopefully we will change by the end of this post.
Accomplishment mindset
You just need a way to see what you actually did. What you actually accomplished that day.
How about a system to end the work day and even the entire day on a positive note?
Change your mindset from not good enough and guilty to appreciative and thankful. Heck, even proud of yourself mama.
Give yourself credit
The thing is, a recurring feeling of inadequacy at the end of the day negatively affects your sleep.
Not only that but it affects your approach to time management and productivity which will cause you to continue the same cycle.
Basically, you’re not giving yourself enough credit.
What was that about sleep? Well, going to bed feeling inadequate in some way even if it’s in the background of your mind is not serving you here.
It creates a feeling of business and a trickle of ongoing stress if you’re not appreciating all of the hidden value you’re adding to your day.
Accomplishments and the working mom
It’s part of being a working mom. I believe that we have a tendency to look for external sources and approvals to feel validated because we’re used to having to meet a set of expectations.
It’s like if you didn’t do a specific thing by a specific deadline then there’s some punishment that needs to take place and sometimes we punish ourselves.
The thing is, life happens and we learn to roll with the punches and stay in the good fight.
I have often been told I was way too hard on myself and wasn’t quite sure how to take that. I now see that what they were saying was that I wasn’t appreciating my accomplishments.
We are going to start training your mind to point out your accomplishments in every single day no matter how crappy the day may have been.
4 question series to find your hidden accomplishments in every single day
1. What is something that you completed today?
Don’t focus on completion of major projects here.
In other words, smaller pieces that contribute to the whole totally count because it’s one less thing you have to do.
It can be anything so think outside the box.
Answering an email, going for a walk, calling a loved one are all great examples. These things may seem small when compared to the whole but each makes a huge impact when appreciated.
If you see it from a holistic standpoint then you can appreciate that each piece contributes to the whole and needs to therefore be appreciated. Wild!
2. What is something new you learned?
It may be a cheesy saying, but there’s truth in “you learn something new every day”.
When you take a moment to think about it you should be able to think of something new you learned no matter how big or small.
3. How did you surprise yourself?
This may vary from day to day but it’s still important to track. I’ll use myself as an example.
I surprise myself regularly by how I react to certain situations.
As I a mature into who I am I find myself thinking through stressful situations better and that surprises me. I’m super proud of that.
What about you?
4. How did you help someone today?
Just doing your job and being a parent is helping someone so I’m sure you can find something here.
This is your turn to be selfish and love on you! Enjoy this one, you deserve it.
Simple system to hack into your daily accomplishments
It’s a quick 4 question system because I know you’re ready to go at the end of the work day.
This is also a nice wind down exercise to do at the end of the day as you drift off to sleep.
Welcome to one of the little-known productivity hacks.
Yes, it’s a true hack because as you begin to put yourself in the mindset of attainable productivity on your bad days then you will start to believe that it’s possible.
It’s a mood boosting way to change your thinking about yourself and your day and seek validation that way instead of external sources.
Track your own accomplishments
Start creating a physical and / or electronic accomplishment list every day.
Okay, so I have a bonus hack for you if you want to spend a little more time and dig a tad bit deeper.
Enjoy your accomplishments
You now know the mindset and have a reliable system set in place for enjoying your daily accomplishments.
Time management and productivity are not just about crossing off a to do list.
I look at it as working on who we are as a whole to get a better grasp and appreciation of our time.
That includes patting your own dang self on the back for a job well done.
We know that working mom life means you wear a boat load of hats. You can’t do it all and I’m here to tell you that you shouldn’t even strive to do it all.
You are more than your to do list
If you don’t change your perspective on the situation then you will continue to keep feeling the same disappointment.
That feeling of disappointment is not rooted in truth! You are more than your to do list.
Following this process with a positive outlook will welcome appreciation for yourself and a sense of calm.
You will allow yourself to not be perfect and to embrace missing the mark as it happens.
This is how you start to give yourself grace and it is a key component to holistic wellness and time management skills. Enjoy.
PIN THIS POST FOR LATER!
